Studies
| Study Title: | Disability and Reproductive Health during COVID-19 |
| Rationale: | Twenty-four percent of Canadian women have a disability. Women with disabilities experience social, health, and health care disparities, including disparities in sexual, reproductive, maternal, and child health (SRMCH). The United Nations has documented the global impact of COVID-19 on SRMCH. In Canada, impacts include restricted access to contraception, abortion, and perinatal services; rising rates of maternal anxiety and depression; missed child routine vaccinations; suspension of in-person family access to children in the child welfare system; and elevated rates of intimate partner violence. These impacts have been felt most acutely in marginalized groups, including racialized, low socioeconomic status, and rural/remote communities. However, one marginalized group for whom the impacts of COVID-19 on SRMCH have received little attention is women with disabilities. |
| Study Description: | The proposed study is a partnership between the University of Toronto (where we have been conducting CIHR and NIH-funded research on disability and SRMCH) and the Disabled Women’s Network (DAWN) Canada (the only national feminist disability organization in Canada). We plan to examine the impact of COVID-19 on SRMCH in women with disabilities in Canada. Our objectives are addressed in two parallel parts:
1. In Part 1, we will use an accessible, nation-wide survey of women with disabilities to: a. Describe the overall impact of COVID-19 on SRMCH; and b. Examine the differential impacts of COVID-19 on SRMCH by other intersecting social determinants of health. 2. In Part 2, we will use interviews with women with disabilities across the life course to: a. Explore the processes by which COVID-19 has impacted SRMCH in these groups; and b. Identify opportunities and strategies to build a more inclusive SRMCH service system. We will use the evidence to ensure an accessible and inclusive approach to reproductive health for people with disabilities during and beyond the pandemic. |
| Starting Date: | 2022-05-16 |
| Ending Date: | 2023-04-01 |
| Who can participate: | Eligible participants must meet the following criteria: 1) Identify or may be identified as having a disability, 2) Identify as a woman, trans, or non-binary person, 3) Are 18 years or older, and 4) Live and receive health care in Canada |
| Trial Institution: | University of Toronto Scarborough |
| Trial Investigator: | Dr. Hilary Brown |
| Contact Information: | Sidrah Zafar sidrah.zafar@utoronto.ca |
| Trial Funding: | Canadian Institutes of Health Research |