Social Determinants

461 articles:
Inequity
Indigenous
LGBTQ
Gender
Disability
Racism
by Maddi Dellplain

Telegraph hit job a prime example of how not to report on drug policy

The Telegraph story depicts Vancouver's Downtown Eastside in a way that maximizes the harm done to their most vulnerable sources. But as journalists, we don't need to punch down to do our jobs.
by Zier Zhou

Team Canada’s Alicia Souveny: Car crash survivor and blood donation advocate

Alicia Souveny lost her left leg in a car accident in 2019 and would have lost her life, too, had she not received enough blood in time from donors. She's now an ambassador for the Canadian Blood Services and a member of the national women's para-hockey team.

by Nicole Smith

Ethical issues cloud online Ozempic prescription services

Patients with obesity are caught in the middle of two ethical issues rooted in weight bias – the reason the online services exist and the online services themselves.
by Abby Taher

‘Nothing for most and no easy way to fight back:’ Advocates skeptical as regulations for Canada Disability Benefit Act outlined

Persons with disabilities in Canada need and deserve access to justice, or they will continue to be pushed to the margins. The federal government has the opportunity to learn from mistakes and ease the way for people with disabilities who rely on social assistance to survive. Now it just needs to act.
by John Walid Handal

Apologies are not enough. How Canadian Blood Services can rebuild trust with 2SLGBTQIA+ communities 

Canadian Blood Services, and other health organizations, have the opportunity and moral responsibility to build a better health system for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.
by Joss Reimer

Privilege. Blame. Allyship. Reflecting on reconciliation as a non-Indigenous physician

CMA president Joss Reimer writes, "As individuals, we may not be responsible for what happened in the past. But we are responsible for what happens in the future."
by Maddi Dellplain

Involuntary drug treatment: ‘Compassionate intervention’ or policy dead end?

Involuntary treatment for substance use is being proposed as a solution to the toxic drug supply crisis in provinces across the country. But do programs like this work?

by Jessica Gosselin Valerie Jeanneret Meghan Pritchard

Access to abortion is not just a matter of health, it is a matter of basic human rights

The U.S. Supreme Court has abandoned its duty to protect the rights of women. We must ensure that every woman can enjoy reproductive freedom on both sides of the border.

by Maia Stelfox Stephana Julia Moss Jeanna Parsons Leigh

Beyond acceptance: Fostering inclusive care for sex and gender minority youth

Sex and gender minority youth are disproportionately impacted by mental health concerns tied to the COVID-19 pandemic. But they're also less likely to find adequate supports.

by Gary Bloch

Backlash against call for equity in medicine is misguided

A backlash against EDIA (equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility) is gripping Canadian medicine. The reasons for this backlash are complex but ultimately misguided.

by Kaden Venugopal

Cautious, compassionate safe supply is good public policy

Safe supply is not a magic bullet to cure our overdose emergency. However, under cautious guidelines, prescriber-based safe supply initiatives have a role to play in saving lives.
by Hilary Brown Laurie Proulx Lesley A. Tarasoff Yona Lunsky

People with disabilities account for 13% of all pregnancies, but their needs are invisible

People with disabilities need inclusive, accessible pregnancy care that treats them with respect, dignity and acceptance.
by Gary Bloch

Disability and poverty: Funding and structure of new federal benefit unacceptable

The amount being offered to some people with disabilities, $200 per month, is a drop in the bucket in a time of high inflation, rising rents and significant added costs to living with a disability.
by Maddi Dellplain

The toxic standards that have shaped coverage of drug use in Canada

While a health crisis has unfolded, newsrooms have had to learn to do better. But the changes in framing haven’t always come fast enough or extended to the workers with lived experience
by Stephanie Ferguson

Simple finger-prick blood test could help women with debilitating condition

A Canadian company is working to perfect a simple, finger-prick blood test that would revolutionize the diagnosis of endometriosis.
by Miranda Schreiber

‘Just a pinch’: Women frustrated as medical community downplays pain of IUD insertion

Thousands of TikTok rants, viral tweets, petitions and peer-reviewed studies have documented the insufficient pain relief offered for IUD insertions. So, what is the response from Canadian medicine to this outcry? Practically nothing.

by Sai Gayathri Metla Chen Chen

Students call for improved refugee health education in Ontario medical schools

While Canada accepts thousands of refugees each year, refugee health care falls short. Improved education on refugee health in medical schools can help bridge the gap.

by W.A. Bogart

‘Unshrinking’ tackles fat shaming and bigotry

Kate Manne's new book examines fatphobia in North American society and its sweeping impacts on health care, history and politics.

by Chukwudumebi Onyiuke

‘It’s time to do something’: Climate change endangering remote First Nations communities

The Anisininew leaders have urged governments to support the region by injecting financial and emergency resources, and directly empowering them to rebuild and maintain vital winter road infrastructure.
by Michelle Cohen

‘That Women Will Have the Same Opportunities as Men’

What the life stories of pioneering female physicians teach us about Canadian medical culture today

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