DJENEBA DOSSO
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE
OUTAOUAIS – Cries for change and better access to care could be heard from the women gathered at the Gatineau City Hall on September 26 during a panel on women’s health in the Outaouais.
The panel, led by experts Dr. Ruth Vander Stelt, Marie-Eve Fournier and Patricia LaRue, touched on the complexities of navigating a healthcare system which, despite its developments, still fails women in more ways than one. The discussion touched on flaws in early medicine, the disparities between care for women and men, reproductive health, and health accessibility issues in the Outaouais and for women living in rural areas.
The main takeaway offered by all three panelists is that healthcare is far from analogous. On the contrary, it should be viewed from an intersectional lens to better meet the unique and complex needs of every patient. In spite of this, “For years, medical tests were only done on men for men,” pointed out Fournier, columnist for La Presse, while for women “almost all symptoms were related to stress or menopause.
“The refusal, or perhaps disinterest, in going the extra mile to perform tests and diagnosis’ on women all those years ago has stalled the way they receive care today”, she added.
Dr. Vander Stelt, a Pontiac-based general practitioner, believes the constant downplaying of early symptoms has led to the normalization of pain among women.
“Women are told: ‘it’s all in your head,’ ‘just go and get some rest,’ constantly,” she said, adding the notion that pain should be ignored is often transferred from mothers, generally of older generations — who received the same message from their practitioners — and passed it on to their daughters.
LaRue, the executive director of Outaouais’ Women’s Clinic, named reduced research, limited access to resources and the inability to identify a multitude of symptoms found in women of all ages as repercussions. LaRue runs a women’s medical clinic offering contraception, sexual health workshops and IUD insertion services.
These basic services that should be accessible to female patients often aren’t advertised because the resources are simply unavailable in rural communities, Dr. Vander Stelt said. Due to a lack of access to care in their communities, women must travel to the city. For women with abusive spouses, trips to the city, even for care, aren’t feasible.
“I’m from the Pontiac and commuting to the city to receive care shouldn’t be the solution or norm,” she said. “Every CLSC should have the right resources.”
Unfortunately, for women in rural areas, obtaining care tailored to their needs is often difficult, primarily due to language barriers.
“Translating barriers are a real issue,” LaRue said. “Children are having to translate their mother’s diagnosis because the doctor is unable to communicate in their language; it’s sad and extremely invasive.” This issue extends to immigrants and members of linguistic minorities.
In the face of this adversity, many women have turned to social support networks.
“Social media, often seen as a space for misinformation, especially in healthcare, has become a safe space for women,” said Dr. Vander Stelt, listing advocacy and awareness, empowerment, breaking taboos and misconceptions and the receipt of diverse perspectives as benefits of support networks through social media.
LaRue said supporting women’s organizations is another way to boost access to efficient and compassionate care. Fournier suggested doing more research tailored to women’s health. She encouraged doctors to be curious about their female patients, although she understands they’re overworked. Lastly, she preached the benefits of spreading information by sharing the names of experts both internally and externally to increase their reach.
So much still needs to be done, Dr. Vander Stelt said at the end of the question session. “It’s unacceptable,” she added, encouraging Outaouais women to continue speaking up, as it will allow for change, hopefully. “You have the power,” she concluded.
Photo – Women gathered for a panel on women’s healthcare in the Outaouais put on by Action Santé Outaouais and the Assemblée des Groupes de Femmes d’Interventions Régionales (AGIR), Sept. 26 in Gatineau. (DD)