Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Positive birth experiences are linked to maternal and infant well-being. Being treated poorly, disrespected, and/or abused during birth can have long lasting negative effects on the birthing person's mental health, their care choices, and trust in the health system. Mistreatment during childbirth has been widely reported globally and is increasingly recognized as a problem, especially among minoritized people. In Canada, we know that Indigenous groups and new immigrants have been discriminated against and mistreated while accessing perinatal care, but there has been no large study of the problem across the country. Over 6000 people in Canada described their childbearing journey in the national RESPCCT survey, including experiences of mistreatment and respectful care during birth. For the first time, we have ways to understand how care experiences among racialized groups and immigrants may differ from dominant groups. We can also understand how other factors in addition to identity, such as type of provider, place of birth, or having obstetric interventions during birth influence the experience of mistreatment and receiving respectful care. Understanding this problem across a diverse Canadian population of service users is crucial to ensuring equitable, respectful care around birth for all.