"Abortion and contraception are often understood as the central aspect of reproductive justice. But there is much more involved, from bodily autonomy, to freedom from sexual violence, to freedom to define the size and make up of our families, and to the right to parent the children we choose to have in safe and sustainable communities. While Canada has constitutionally affirmed aspects of reproductive liberation, it also has a colonial history of reproductive oppression and practices ongoing carceral policies that criminalize disproportionately Indigenous and racialized people, threatening their access to reproductive justice. This illustrated, accessible book will tell the empowering stories behind the struggles for reproductive justice in Canada, celebrating past wins and revealing an abolitionist path forward."--
Abortion is a common and safe procedure in Canada, with the Canadian Institute for Health Information reporting approximately 100,000 procedures per year. Yet access remains problematic. As abortion is unrestricted by criminal law in Canada, access is limited by geographic barriers and by a shortage of providers. We present a feminist critical lens to describe how the marginalization of nursing and nurses in abortion care contributes to social stigma and public misunderstanding about abortion access. The roles of registered nurses and nurse practitioners in abortion advocacy, service navigation, counselling, education, support, physiological care and follow up are underutilized and under-researched. In 2015, decades after its availability elsewhere in the world, Health Canada approved mifepristone (a pill for medical abortion). In 2017, provincial regulators began to authorize nurse practitioners to independently provide medical abortion care, as appropriate given the inclusion in nurse practitioner scope of practice to order diagnostic tests, make diagnoses, and treat health conditions. Ensuring nurse practitioners are able to practice medical abortion has the potential to significantly increase abortion access for rural, remote and other marginalized populations. There is also an opportunity to optimize the registered nurse role in abortion care. However, achieving these improvements is challenging as abortion is not routinely taught in Canadian Schools of Nursing. We argue that to destigmatize abortion and improve access, undergraduate nursing and nurse practitioner programs across the country must begin to include abortion and family planning competencies.
Women are the fastest growing population in federal prison in Canada. Women's incarceration has significant implications for families, as approximately two-thirds have children who face intergenerational trauma, risk of criminalization, and health concerns. The Correctional Services Canada Mother Child Program allows children up to age six to live with their incarcerated mothers. Publicly available information about outcomes associated with the program is scarce, including the number of participants. Using data from 2000–2020 acquired through an Access to Information and Privacy request, this article presents descriptive statistics about the program. Findings indicate the program is underused, and associated outcomes are under-researched.
