To determine reproductive services offered to lesbian patients by Canadian fertility clinics, policies of practice, ease of access to these services, and sensitivity of clinics to this population of patients.
While general indicators show significant results in terms of access to these services, the report raises the question of inclusion of the most vulnerable families, including those headed by children or the elderly.
48 50 In addition to the variability across jurisdictions in the delivery of maternal and child health services and the level of access to these services, there are also differences in the rate of investment in these services relative to population growth.
Suboptimal distribution of access to these services in free markets is most often at the heart of these arguments.
They may reflect greater recording of access to these services.
18 Primary care gatekeeping may reduce the burden on specialist care but may also contribute to diagnostic delay through the restriction of access to these services.
Related to this is the need to understand how CBC programs can target and support vulnerable and marginalized populations that continue to face barriers in terms of knowledge about HIV and its prevention, treatment, support, and care, and in terms of access to these services (35, 36).
Factors such as staffing and skill mix, competing priorities for health resources, the structure of an organisation and the delivery of services, access to these services and the beliefs and attitudes of service providers and commissioners are key to achieving the required health outcomes [ 9].
Our study suggests that current implementation and funding of AECs should include review of both the effectiveness of, and access to, these services.
