Project Summary
The project team’s community-centered effort aims to build a toolkit tailored to bisexual women of color to address racial health inequity and intersectional factors that contribute to perinatal health inequity among this population. This study is guided by the Reproductive Justice Framework, a Black feminist framework rooted in tenets of intersectionality of human rights.
Research Questions/Aims
- What are the positive and adverse factors that shape bisexual women of color’s perinatal healthcare experiences across the perinatal continuum?
- What healing-centered care practices and resources do bisexual women of color envision that could address structural drivers of perinatal healthcare inequity?
- What tools are needed to bring this healing-centered vision to fruition?
Actionability
- Provide healing-centered tools to perinatal healthcare professionals and birthworkers that are tailored to bisexual women of color; and
- Inform improvements in perinatal healthcare policies and practices, contributing to a future where bisexual women of color have access to and receive culturally responsive perinatal care.
Meeting the Moment
This project directly responds to the current political administration purposefully dehumanizing communities of color and LGTBQ+ communities, and systematically erasing protections that advance reproductive and perinatal health equity.
Outcomes
Primary Outcome: Improved availability of resources supporting culturally responsive perinatal care practices
Other: Reproductive justice advancement among bisexual women of color
Methodology
The project team will lead a longitudinal qualitative study where they will interview bisexual women of color participants about their perinatal healthcare experiences at four distinct time periods: 14-27 weeks pregnant, 28-37 weeks pregnant, within 2 months postpartum, and 6-8 months postpartum. The team will use Rapid Qualitative Analysis to identify major themes to be integrated into the virtual toolkit. The project team will co-design the toolkit across 15 monthly convenings, in partnership with THRIVE community coalition and The Public Studio.
MultiCare Health System
The Public Studio
THRIVE Community Coalition
Institute of Translational Health Sciences Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, & Idaho region Practice & Research Network (WPRN)