Delivering Care to Women who are Homeless: A Narrative Inquiry into the Experience of Health Care Providers in an Obstetrical Unit

Becoming homeless is a convergence of many individual vulnerabilities and structural factors. Homelessness has serious implications for the health of individuals and populations [1]. In the North American context, and globally the majority of people who are homeless are men (71%); when women are homeless they are more likely to be homeless with children [2,3]. In recent years, the number of Canadian women experiencing homelessness has increased slightly [4]. Gaetz et al. [4] reported that women and youth are more likely to experience hidden homelessness. There is little gender-specific research on homelessness, yet housing and gender are both important social determinants of health. Health care disparities are more pronounced and distressing for homeless women [5]. Delivering Care to Women who are Homeless: A Narrative Inquiry into the Experience of Health Care Providers in an Obstetrical Unit