My thesis
Abortion has been a contentious socio-political issue in Canada despite its decriminalization in 1988 and the introduction of medicated abortion in 2017. The goal of my thesis was to understand the experiences of people accessing and receiving abortions in Ontario. It also aimed to make suggestions for how abortion care could be improved. To complete this objective, I used healthcare journey mapping and drew on 16 in-depth narrative interviews from racially and gender diverse participants across Ontario to construct stories and maps of their care journeys.
In my thesis, I demonstrate that obtaining an abortion in Ontario can be a complex process. Most participants did not initially know where to access an abortion and some faced significant hurdles in trying to obtain the procedure. A few participants had relatively straightforward and even empowering journeys, yet still found elements of their abortion care journey challenging, such as feeling ill-equipped for the pain resulting from the procedure. While some participants felt healthcare professionals went out of their way to provide compassionate care and relay relevant information, others experienced professionals as disengaged, judgemental or even shaming. Individuals’ experiences in accessing and receiving care were not only shaped by their personal context, resources, and proximity to services but were also impacted by the larger socio-political polarization and stigmatization of abortion that continues to persist in Ontario.
My time in the School of Public Health Sciences (SPHS)
I completed my first year of the Master of Science program in spring 2022 and then took a year to go on parental leave for my second child. I resumed my studies in September 2023 and I anticipate finishing my degree by the end of August 2024.
The highlight of my time at the School of Public Health Sciences was facilitating tutorials for first-year Health students as a teaching assistant. I was proud to witness students’ writing and research skills improve over the course of a semester and see their strengths in communication, whether it was giving a presentation, engaging in a debate, or writing a position paper about topic they were passionate about.
My favourite part of my research has been the opportunity to interview research participants and hear their stories. Most participants had a story they were brimming to share, and it was an honour to be able to bring those stories forward into my research.
I have worked almost every day on campus and enjoyed the informal time of connecting with my peers, whether it’s at our cubicles or at the Graduate Student Association (GSA) coffee breaks. I also want to give a huge shoutout to the staff at Starbucks who know my name and go-to drink and work tirelessly to meet our caffeination needs as we groggily try to type out the next sentence of our thesis.
Interested in reproductive health? I would love to connect! Find me on LinkedIn