Indigenous Perspectives on Infant Feeding in Women Living With HIV Developing Community-Driven Consensus in Canada: A Qualitative Study

Indigenous women living with HIV (IWLWH) are compelled to navigate a colonial health care system that fails to acknowledge First Nations, Inuit, and Métis cultural practices related to childbirth and infant feeding. Infant feeding for IWLWH presents an even greater challenge because the Canadian infant feeding guidelines for WLWH recommend exclusive formula feeding to reduce the risk of vertical transmission through breast milk. Our study explored the knowledge, experiences, and values of Indigenous mothers living with HIV through an online Sharing Circle, where participants shared personal stories and cultural guidance on issues related to infant feeding. Our article draws on four overarching themes that emerged from the Sharing Circle, reflecting the meaningful stories and insights of IWLWH, to address current gaps in health care research and practices and inform the development of culturally relevant knowledge translation resources for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women.