About
In this episode, we speak with Emma Ettinger, a Masters of Social Work student at York University with 8 years of experience in harm reduction work. They have worked in settings such as safe consumption sites, mobile outreach, sexual health clinics and public health research. They use a public health framework to discuss the ways systems impact people who use substances and people who are engaged in sex work when accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare.
Harm Reduction
policies, programs and practices that seek to minimize the social, legal and health detriments associated with drug use and/or sex work
Systems
the practices, policies and laws that operate in a society
Sex Work
receiving money in exchange for sexual services
Substance use
the use of substances such as drugs and alcohol
Mutual Aid
when communities support one another to meet each other's needs without the help of the state or charitable organizations
Self- Managed Abortion
refers to actions people take to end a pregnancy outside the formal health care system (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, 2024)
Crisis Pregnancy Centers
clinics or mobile vans that look like real health centers, but they're run by anti-abortion activists who have a shady, harmful agenda: to scare, shame, or pressure you out of getting an abortion, and to tell lies about abortion, birth control, and sexual health. (Planned Parenthood Federation of America, n.d.)
Belief-Based Care Denial
when a healthcare provider denies someone a treatment or service on the basis of their personal or religious beliefs. “Conscientious objection” is another term that has been used to describe this. To learn more about belief base care denial, check out this paper written by the Abortion Rights Coalition of Canada https://www.arcc-cdac.ca/media/regulation-belief-based-denial-of-care.pdf
Patient Centered Care
Integrated health care services delivered in a setting and manner that is responsive to individuals and their goals, values and preferences, in a system that supports good provider–patient communication and empowers individuals receiving care and providers to make effective care plans together. (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, n.d. https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innovation/key-concepts/person-centered-care
Affirming Care
Gender-affirmative health care can include any single or combination of a number of social, psychological, behavioural or medical (including hormonal treatment or surgery) interventions designed to support and affirm an individual’s gender identity. (World Health Organization, n.d.) https://www.who.int/standards/classifications/frequently-asked-questions/gender-incongruence-and-transgender-health-in-the-icd#:~:text=What%20is%20gender%2Daffirmative%20health,affirm%20an%20individual's%20gender%20identity
Gender-Affirming Care
refers to a patient-centered approach to healthcare delivery that affirms someone's gender (i.e., using affirming and correct language for someone)
Stigma
a set of negative beliefs and assumptions aimed at making people ashamed for engaging in certain practices. Often used as a form of social control, abortion stigma prevents people from safely accessing life-saving information and resources.
