Service Providers' Perspectives on Abortion Access Challenges for People with Precarious Housing and Migration Status in Niagara, Ontario: An Interpretive Description Study
Abortion is a common and essential part of healthcare. However, barriers to accessing abortion care are not experienced equally, and for those with precarious housing and/or migration status (PPHM), accessing abortion care can be even more difficult. To better understand this issue, the study explored the barriers service providers face in providing and facilitating abortion care to PPHM in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada. Grounded in reproductive justice and structural violence theoretical frameworks, and employing an interpretive description methodology, this qualitative study aimed to understand how we can better support service providers so that they may better support their clients. The study was conducted in collaboration with a local community partner, Niagara Reproductive Justice. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with fifteen service providers from a range of fields, the research aimed to document the process of facilitating abortion care, the related barriers and facilitators, and explore how to build meaningful community capacity. Three themes were identified from the data analysis: (1) Organizational silos, (2) The compounding impacts of abortion stigma, and (3) The power of peer support and communities of practice. This study also contributed to the existing knowledge in two major ways: (1) by making visible the role of the social sector in abortion care provision for PPHM clients and (2) by deepening our understanding of the impacts of abortion stigma. Recommendations from service providers are presented, along with a discussion of practical implications and directions for future research.
abortion, service provider, barriers, immigration, unhoused
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