"Me, I'm Living It": The Primary Health Care Experiences of Women who use Drugs in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside: Summary of Findings from the VANDU Women's Clinic Action Research for Empowerment Study

Abstract

First paragraph: Preventing and reducing the harmful consequences of drug use has been identified as a key priority in Canada at all levels of government. Initiatives to reduce barriers to care for marginalized women who use drugs are currently underway. However, despite the significant national and international attention paid to the health and social conditions of women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES), women who use drugs in this community report persistent health inequities and barriers to accessing a wide range of services, including primary health care, harm reduction services, mental health care, and addictions treatment. These inequities and barriers to care result from a complex interplay of social, political and economic factors. In order to provide effective, empowering, compassionate, and respectful care for women who use drugs it is crucial to understand how these factors influence health and well-being.