Supportive and Affirming Queer Perinatal Health Care: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Queer people may experience barriers to accessing safe and affirming perinatal care. Representative doula support may mitigate barriers to accessing care and improve outcomes. The objectives of this qualitative study were to understand priorities for key queer community stakeholders to address the needs of queer patients/families and to identify potential roles for doula support in improving care. Recruitment for this community-university partnership study was conducted using purposeful and snowball sampling. Interviews with key stakeholders in the field of perinatal health were conducted in summer and fall 2022. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. A total of 12 participants participated in an interview. Key themes include the challenges accessing and navigating affirming care, steps forward for improving perinatal experiences and the role of doulas. Findings suggest gaps in care persist for Queer patients/families, and appropriately trained and representative doula support may interrupt heteronormative bias in perinatal care to improve experiences and outcomes.

Keywords:

• Perinatal
• birth
• doula

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the Dalhousie University Nursing Research Development Fund and the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women Barbara Roberts Memorial Fund.