The Government of Canada recognizes that many Canadians continue to face distinct health risks and inequities, particularly in underserved communities, and remains firmly committed to supporting women to get the care they need.
Funded through the Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund, the following five projects aim to improve access for women and underserved communities to sexual and reproductive health services across Canada:
- Organization: Fertility Matters Canada
Project: Piloting co-creation and delivery of responsive fertility and assisted human reproduction resources serving Indigenous and 2SLGBTQIA+ care seekers in Canada
Funding: $860,078
This project aims to improve access to fertility care and assisted human reproduction for Indigenous and 2SLGBTQI+ people through the creation of a pilot online decision facilitation tool that guides fertility care seekers through the steps and decisions they will encounter as they seek fertility care. This tool is a guided, interactive resource that helps people understand and navigate fertility information and care by asking a series of simple questions that directs service users through relevant pathways based on their circumstances and provides clear, non-clinical resources to support informed decision-making.
- Organization: Canadian Association of Midwives
Project: Reproductive health equity for all: Addressing the needs of underserved communities in Canada
Funding: $728,305
This project will develop educational and informational resources on abortion and postpartum services, contraception and gender-inclusive care for midwives and other health care providers for women, new immigrants, and 2SLGBTQI+, Indigenous and racialized clients. Supported by an advisory committee of experts and people with lived experience, the project will produce tools and awareness activities like campaigns on culturally relevant services such as fertility and pregnancy care, as well as develop and deliver continuing professional education, communities of practice and accountability tools to service providers.
- Organization:Endometriosis Network Canada
Project: Building a better future for the next generation of Canadians living with endometriosis: Supporting youth through resources and awareness
Funding: $966,884
The goal of this project is to support Canadians facing the greatest barriers to endometriosis care by developing and implementing learning resources, digital tools, and awareness activities like campaigns and community knowledge events that address gaps in information and misinformation about endometriosis. Led by people with endometriosis, in partnership with end-users from underserved communities, the learning resources developed will include an interactive menstrual health and endometriosis eLearning course for youth, patient resources that address misinformation and digital tools like a chatbot and an interactive management pathways tool that supports shared decision-making between patients and health care provider.
- Organization: Abortion Care Canada
Project: Generating Equitable, Canada- specific, and Connected Abortion Care: A Wrap Around Approach
Funding: $949,038
This project will strengthen the Canadian abortion care community with region-specific knowledge and resources to improve abortion care access for Indigenous, 2SLGBTQI+, disabled and overweight people with a focus on culturally informed care. The project will simultaneously address systemic barriers to abortion care through bilingual abortion care training and educational tools for health care providers through workshops and annual conferences, as well as through systems navigation support for individual abortion seekers. Additional resources for people with complex needs seeking abortion care include short term counselling, financial resources for travel and logistical support, and facilitating access to advanced gestational age abortions care services.
- Organization: Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada
Project: Beyond the Hot Flash: Building Capacity for Equitable Menopause Care through Evidence and Education
Funding: $1.93 million (amendment)
The project will develop and distribute evidence-based tools and resources for health care providers and people going through menopause and perimenopause to improve the inclusiveness, accuracy, and cultural appropriateness of menopause specialized care in Canada. The current contribution agreement will be amended to include the development of clinical practice guidance on perimenopause and for guidance on alternative therapies (non-pharmacological management) for menopause and associated issues of mis- and disinformation.
