Papers by Jacqueline (Jacquie) Gahagan
Women & Health, 2005
Applying the principles of harm reduction within the context of incarcerated populations raises a... more Applying the principles of harm reduction within the context of incarcerated populations raises a number of challenges. Although some access to harm reduction strategies has been promoted in general society, a divide between what is available and what is advocated continues to exist within the prison system. This paper explores the perceptions and lived experiences of a sample of nationally incarcerated women in Canada regarding their perceptions and experiences in accessing HIV and Hepatitis C prevention, care, treatment and support. In-depth interviews were conducted with 156 women in Canadian national prisons. Q.S.R.Nud*ist© was used to assist with data management. A constant comparison method was used to derive categories, patterns, and themes. Emergent themes highlighted a gap between access to harm reduction in policy and in practice. Despite the implementation of some harm reduction techniques, women in Canadian prisons reported variable access to both education and methods of reducing HIV/HCV transmission. Concerns were also raised about pre- and post-test counseling for HIV/HCV testing. Best practices are suggested for implementing harm reduction strategies within prisons for women in Canada.
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Journal of Hiv/aids Prevention in Children & Youth, 2007
Despite the increasing numbers of young Canadian females becoming infected with HIV through heter... more Despite the increasing numbers of young Canadian females becoming infected with HIV through heterosexual transmission with an infected male sexual partner, the majority of current HIV prevention programs and services in Canada continue to ignore the needs of young heterosexual males. This research is derived from 30 indepfh interviews, 9 focus groups and 13 indepfh interviews with sexual and reproductive health educators. The preliminary results of a province-wide, qualitative study on the sexual and reproductive needs of young sexually active males (n = 50) indicate that heterosexual males remain glaringly absent from HIV prevention programming in Nova Scotia. A number of key themes illustrate the current disconnect between sexual and reproductive health messages and the HIV prevention education needs of young heterosexual males. These themes include perceptions of male sexuality, peer norms, structural and attitudinal barriers to information, and confidentiality. This paper highlights these key themes in the context of focus groups conducted with a sample of young heterosexual males from across Nova Scotia, Canada. The paper concludes with possible directions for the development of healthy sexuality programming and HIV prevention education best practices for young, heterosexual males.
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Health Care for Women International, 2007
This qualitative study explored the unique ways in which caregiving and leisure are conceptualize... more This qualitative study explored the unique ways in which caregiving and leisure are conceptualized and mediated among diverse groups of female caregivers (n = 98) in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada. Data were obtained through 17 focus group discussions between March and June of 2002. Findings reveal that the contexts within which caregivers experience the health effects of caregiving create meanings, opportunities, and challenges for leisure. This study of diverse caregiving experiences fills a significant gap in the existing literature by integrating considerations of subjectivity and the ways in which caregiving influences women's perceptions and engagement in leisure pursuits. Constructivism guides the interpretive framework upon which the data were analyzed; results inform recommendations relative to policy and program audiences associated with unpaid caregiving.
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International Journal of Drug Policy, 2011
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Health & Place
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Drugs-education Prevention and Policy, 2009
ABSTRACT Aims: To explore the influence of social relationships, at the interpersonal and communi... more ABSTRACT Aims: To explore the influence of social relationships, at the interpersonal and community level, on safer and unsafe drug use practices among injection drug users (IDUs) in Nova Scotia, Canada. Method: Thirty-eight current injection drug users were recruited through two needle exchange programs. Fifteen women and 23 men participated in semi-structured interviews about their daily lives, relationships and safer/unsafe drug use and sexual practices. Findings: Most participants were well aware of the risks associated with injecting drugs and reported purposely engaging in numerous strategies to minimize those risks for themselves and others. However, several IDUs revealed that the dynamics of their relationships with other IDUs and with non-IDUs could and did lead to unsafe practices including needle sharing. Stigmatizing encounters with non-users and social exclusion from mainstream resources and structures appear to underlie and reproduce these unsafe practices. Conclusions: Within the current Canadian political context, there is a move to shift drug policies away from harm reduction toward a more enforcement-based approach. This shift will likely only exacerbate the current discourse of blame and stigma directed at injection drug users. In addition, it may serve to increase the interdependency among IDUs, and social and economic exclusion from non-IDUs.
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Public Health, 2008
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Adherence to antiretroviral therapy poses of number of potential health dilemmas for Human Immuno... more Adherence to antiretroviral therapy poses of number of potential health dilemmas for Human Immunodeficiency Virus positive (HIV+) individuals. Not only are the drug regimens complex and at times overwhelming but in addition, less than optimal adherence to the drug regimens can result in a variety of health-related problems. These can included the development of mutant strains of HIV, an increased
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International Journal of Men's Health, 2009
... MATTHEW S. NUMER JACQUELINE GAHAGAN Dalhousie University ... Flaskerud & Winslow, 199... more ... MATTHEW S. NUMER JACQUELINE GAHAGAN Dalhousie University ... Flaskerud & Winslow, 1998; Peterkin & Risdon, 2003), but a particularly poignant example is the prevalence of barebacking (Adam, 2005; Crossley, 2002; Halkitis, Parsons, & Wilton, 2003; Yep, Lovaas, & ...
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International Journal of Men's Health, 2009
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Papers by Jacqueline (Jacquie) Gahagan