Exploring Canadians’ experiences with belief-based denial of contraception and abortion care: Results from a qualitative study

Objective Although some evidence suggests that belief-based denial of contraception and abortion care can lead to harmful outcomes, rigorous research exploring Canadian contraception and abortion patients' experiences is scant. We undertook this qualitative study to address this gap. Study design We conducted in-depth interviews from November 2022 to March 2023 with 30 Canadians who had experienced refusal of contraception or abortion care in the prior 10 years. We used a multi-methods recruitment strategy and focused our efforts on Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. The development of the interview guide was informed by prior literature, policy discussions and consultation with our community partner. We analyzed our interviews for content and themes using deductive and inductive techniques. Results Participants reported being denied a range of contraception and abortion services for reasons including age, parity, and the provider's religious beliefs or institutional affiliation. Participants reported feeling angry, disappointed, and frustrated after being denied care. They consistently voiced an opposition to policies allowing providers to refuse reproductive health services based on personal beliefs. Conclusions Allowing healthcare providers to deny care based on their personal beliefs creates barriers to accessing necessary health services. Reforming these regulations and ensuring enforcement of professional standards appears warranted. Implications Policymakers and clinicians should consider reforming regulations governing belief-based denial of care informed by patient experiences and with attention to patient-centered outcomes. Creating enforcement mechanisms to ensure that Canadians receive the comprehensive reproductive health services they want, need, and deserve is warranted.