Open Collections

Scott-Fiddler, Piper

University of British Columbia

Métis clients seeking family planning services in British Columbia often encounter mistreatment, shame, and barriers to accessing contraception and abortion care. This study comprises two parts aimed at comprehensively exploring their experiences. In Part 1, a qualitative investigation was conducted to understand Métis clients' encounters with family planning care access (Aim 1 and 2). Through analysis, an overarching theme emerged, encapsulating the essence of their experiences as "Feeling lost in a system that does not value relational care." Within this overarching theme, five key sub-themes were identified: "Searching for a consistent healthcare provider: 'I’ve never gone to the same doctor twice,'" highlighting the lack of continuity in care and mistreatment from healthcare providers; "Prioritizing care despite costs," revealing the financial, emotional and physical challenges faced by Métis clients in accessing abortion and contraception services; "Jumping through hoops to find information," indicating the difficulties in navigating complex healthcare systems; "Feeling shame in family planning care due to legacies of trauma," addressing the deeply ingrained cultural and historical factors influencing perceptions of reproductive healthcare; and "Needing Métis-specific family planning services," emphasizing the importance of culturally tailored and community-responsive care. In Part 2 of the study, the concept of Métis-specific services was further examined through an eight-person community conversation. This community conversation aimed to deepen the understanding of Métis perspectives and preferences regarding family planning care (Aim 3). The community conversation generated three additional emerging themes: "Acceptance from our Elders and health care professionals," highlighting the significance of cultural validation and support from trusted sources; "Communication: ‘There is a huge disconnect,'" emphasizing the challenges in effective communication between Métis clients and healthcare providers; and "Cultural Safety: Could the answer be Métis-Specific Services?" prompting reflection on the potential benefits of culturally tailored healthcare services.This research sheds light on the multifaceted challenges faced by Métis individuals in accessing family planning care in British Columbia and elevates the importance of developing culturally relevant and inclusive healthcare services that address the unique needs and preferences of Métis communities.

Text

2024-10-11

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89403

Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/