CTVNews.ca Staff
October 15, 2019:
Families in polyamorous relationships experience health care barriers and discrimination during pregnancy and birth, but hospitals could mitigate the stress with some changes, according to a new Canadian study.
The challenges polyamorous couples face vary from lack of acknowledgement of all partners to negative judgement when the relationship status is disclosed, and logistical nuisances such as newborn identification bracelets.
The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) on Tuesday, included 13 partners and 11 women who gave birth within the last five years from across the country.
“In terms of childbearing experiences, partners often felt like they weren’t validated in the health care interactions,” Elizabeth Darling, study author, told CTVNews.ca. “For example, if the person giving birth had two partners and one partner was a male and the other was a female, the male partner was always prioritized or seen as the legitimate partner while the female partner was ignored.”
Darling, assistant dean and midwifery associate professor at McMaster University, and her co-authors felt like it was important to investigate the experiences of polyamorous relationships given the growing popularity of non-traditional relationships with multiple partners.
A 2017 study found that more than one in five Americans have engaged in a non-monogamous relationship with multiple partners. There is no Canadian data on families in polyamorous relationships.
How can doctors help polyamorous families feel more comfortable?
Darling said there are a few basic things doctors and health care providers could implement that would improve the experience of the polyamorous family during pregnancy and birth.
“Acknowledgement and using language that demonstrates openness is important,” she said. “Being accommodating such as allowing more than one person in the room during a procedure is helpful.”
Being an ally and taking on the role of an advocate is also significant, Darling pointed out.
“Sometimes there is a repeated need to disclose family arrangements and that can be challenging for people to have to constantly explain their relationship to strangers,” she said.
A midwife could take on the responsibility of explaining the family status to all the health care providers involved in the pregnancy or birth.
“Participants [of the study] said having that advocacy was very much appreciated,” said Darling.
Doctors could also explain the medical relevancy of their questions.
“It would make people feel more comfortable because then they know the questions are being asked for medical purposes and not just because the doctor is curious,” said Darling.
How can polyamorous families find good care?
Darling said people often ask friends for referrals when searching for a family doctor who might be more accommodating and accepting of a non-traditional family.
“When selecting a provider, the families would often approach their first visit as an opportunity to interview the doctor,” she said.
“They might ask direct questions or make assessments about the space, such as look for symbols that would suggest it’s an LGBTQ2-friendly space. They would also assess the kind of language the care provider uses in their initial interaction.”
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/polyamorous-families-face-discrimination-from-health-care-providers-during-pregnancy-study-1.4635312
October 15, 2019:
Families in polyamorous relationships experience health care barriers and discrimination during pregnancy and birth, but hospitals could mitigate the stress with some changes, according to a new Canadian study.
The challenges polyamorous couples face vary from lack of acknowledgement of all partners to negative judgement when the relationship status is disclosed, and logistical nuisances such as newborn identification bracelets.
The study, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) on Tuesday, included 13 partners and 11 women who gave birth within the last five years from across the country.
“In terms of childbearing experiences, partners often felt like they weren’t validated in the health care interactions,” Elizabeth Darling, study author, told CTVNews.ca. “For example, if the person giving birth had two partners and one partner was a male and the other was a female, the male partner was always prioritized or seen as the legitimate partner while the female partner was ignored.”
Darling, assistant dean and midwifery associate professor at McMaster University, and her co-authors felt like it was important to investigate the experiences of polyamorous relationships given the growing popularity of non-traditional relationships with multiple partners.
A 2017 study found that more than one in five Americans have engaged in a non-monogamous relationship with multiple partners. There is no Canadian data on families in polyamorous relationships.
How can doctors help polyamorous families feel more comfortable?
Darling said there are a few basic things doctors and health care providers could implement that would improve the experience of the polyamorous family during pregnancy and birth.
“Acknowledgement and using language that demonstrates openness is important,” she said. “Being accommodating such as allowing more than one person in the room during a procedure is helpful.”
Being an ally and taking on the role of an advocate is also significant, Darling pointed out.
“Sometimes there is a repeated need to disclose family arrangements and that can be challenging for people to have to constantly explain their relationship to strangers,” she said.
A midwife could take on the responsibility of explaining the family status to all the health care providers involved in the pregnancy or birth.
“Participants [of the study] said having that advocacy was very much appreciated,” said Darling.
Doctors could also explain the medical relevancy of their questions.
“It would make people feel more comfortable because then they know the questions are being asked for medical purposes and not just because the doctor is curious,” said Darling.
How can polyamorous families find good care?
Darling said people often ask friends for referrals when searching for a family doctor who might be more accommodating and accepting of a non-traditional family.
“When selecting a provider, the families would often approach their first visit as an opportunity to interview the doctor,” she said.
“They might ask direct questions or make assessments about the space, such as look for symbols that would suggest it’s an LGBTQ2-friendly space. They would also assess the kind of language the care provider uses in their initial interaction.”
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/polyamorous-families-face-discrimination-from-health-care-providers-during-pregnancy-study-1.4635312
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