Published Evidence

Evidence for approaches to support abortion health care professionals, and the need for mentorship and specific resources including a Virtual Community of Practice (vCoP)

  1. Carson A, Paynter M, Norman WV, et al. Optimizing the Nursing Role in Abortion Care: Considerations for Health Equity. Nursing Leadership. 2022;35(1):54-68. https://www.longwoods.com/product/26750
  2. Devane C, Renner RM, Munro S, et al. Implementation of mifepristone medical abortion in Canada: pilot and feasibility testing of a survey to assess facilitators and barriers. Pilot Feasibility Stud. 2019;5(1):126. https://pilotfeasibilitystudies.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40814-019-0520-8
  3. Dunn S, Munro S, Devane C, Guilbert E, Jeong D, Stroulia E, et al. A Virtual Community of Practice to Support Physician Uptake of a Novel Abortion Practice: Mixed Methods Case Study. Journal of Medical Internet Research. 2022;24(5):e34302. https://dx.doi.org/10.2196/34302
  4. Munro S, Guilbert E, Wagner M-S, et al. Perspectives Among Canadian Physicians on Factors Influencing Implementation of Mifepristone Medical Abortion: A National Qualitative Study. Annals of family medicine. 2020;18(5):413-421.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7489974/pdf/0180413.pdf
  5. Munro S, Wahl K, Soon JA, et al. Pharmacist dispensing of the abortion pill in Canada: Diffusion of Innovation meets integrated knowledge translation. Implementation Science. 2021;16(1):76.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-021-01144-w
  6. Norman WV, Munro S, Brooks M, et al. Could implementation of mifepristone address Canada's urban-rural abortion access disparity: a mixed-methods implementation study protocol. BMJ open. 2019;9(4):e028443.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/9/4/e028443
  7. Rebic N, Munro S, Norman WV, Soon JA. Pharmacist checklist and resource guide for mifepristone medical abortion: User-centred development and testing. Canadian Pharmacists Journal / Revue des Pharmaciens du Canada. 2021;154(3):166-174. https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/17151635211005503
  8. Guilbert E, Wagner M-S, Munro S, et al. Slow implementation of mifepristone medical termination of pregnancy in Quebec, Canada: a qualitative investigation. The European Journal of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care. 2020;25(3):190-198. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13625187.2020.1743825
  9. Guilbert E WM-S, Munro S, Wilcox ES, Devane C, Dunn S, Soon J, Norman WV. La pilule abortive au Québec en 2019 – Pourquoi n’est-elle pas plus accessible? Rapport de recherche de la CART-MIFE-Study. Québec2019. https://reqef.uqam.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/23/2019-09-06-La-pilule-abortive-au-Quebec.pdf
  10. Wagner MS, Munro S, Wilcox ES, et al. Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of first Trimester Medical Abortion With Mifepristone in the Province of Quebec: A Qualitative Investigation. Journal of obstetrics and gynaecology Canada : JOGC = Journal d'obstetrique et gynecologie du Canada : JOGC. 2020;42(5):576-582. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31924442/  


Evidence for the need for and relevant design features of patient decision aids, and the need in Canada for a medical vs abortion decision aid (Kate/Sarah to complete)


Evidence for Family Planning/Reproductive and Sexual Health among Youth Experiencing Homelessness and/or With Child Welfare Histories

*Note: Many of these studies were comprised of U.S.-based samples, but challenges and issues are seemingly quite similar, comparatively to Canadian contexts.

  1. Henriques, E., Schmidt, C., Pascoe, R., Liss, K., & Begun, S. (2022). Counter-narratives of pregnancy stigma and resistance for youth experiencing homelessness. Qualitative Health Research, 32(10), 1447–1463. doi: 10.1177/10497323221110694 [published open-access]
  2. Begun, S., Barman-Adhikari, A., Greenblatt, A., Sahajpal, P., Campbell, D., Cooke, K., & Rice, E. (2021). Social norms of pregnancy and pregnancy attitudes among youth experiencing homelessness. Youth & Society. doi: 10.1177/0044118X211062354 [published open-access]
  3. Munro, S., Benipal, S., Williams, A., Wahl, K., Trenaman, L., & Begun, S. (2021). Access experiences and attitudes toward abortion among youth experiencing homelessness in the United States: A systematic review. PloS ONE, 16(7), p.e02522434-e0252434. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252434 [published open-access]
  4. Begun, S., Combs, K. M., Schwan, K., Torrie, M., & Bender, K. (2020). “I know they would kill me”: Abortion attitudes and experiences among youth experiencing homelessness. Youth & Society, 52(8), 1457-1478. doi: 10.1177/0044118X18820661
  5. Begun, S., Barman-Adhikari, A., O’Connor, C., & Rice, E. (2020). Social support and pregnancy attitudes among youth experiencing homelessness. Children & Youth Services Review, 113. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.104959
  6. Begun, S., Torrie, M., Combs, K. M., & Frey, C. (2019). “Getting pregnant might make me seem more normal to them”: Attitudes, experiences, and gendered nuances regarding pregnancy and parenting among youth experiencing homelessness. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Social Services, 31(4), 435-457. doi: 10.1080/10538720.2019.1633453
  7. Begun, S., Frey, C., Combs, K. M., & Torrie, M. (2019). “I guess it would be a good shock”: A qualitative examination of homeless youths’ diverse pregnancy attitudes. Children and Youth Services Review, 99, 87-96. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.01.029
  8. Begun, S., Combs, K. M., Torrie, M., & Bender, K. A. (2019). “It seems kinda like a different language to us”: Homeless youths’ attitudes and experiences pertaining to condoms and contraceptives. Social Work in Health Care, 58(3), 237-257. doi: 10.1080/00981389.2018.1544961
  9. Combs, K. M., Brown, S., Begun, S., & Taussig, H. (2018). Pregnancy attitudes and contraceptive use among young adults with histories of foster care. Children and Youth Services Review, 94, 284-289. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.10.017
  10. Combs, K. M., Begun, S., Rinehart, D., & Taussig, H. (2018). Pregnancy and childbearing among young adults who experienced foster care. Child Maltreatment, 23(2), 166-174. doi: 10.1177/1077559517733816
  11. Barman-Adhikari, A., Hsu, H., Begun, S., & Portillo, A. P. (2017). Condomless sex among homeless youth: The role of multidimensional social norms and gender. AIDS & Behavior, 21(3), 688-702. doi: 10.1007/s10461-016-1624-2
  12. Begun, S. (2017). A mixed methods examination of pregnancy attitudes and HIV risk behaviors among homeless youth: The role of social network norms and social support. Electronic Theses and Dissertations: ProQuest.
  13. Begun, S. (2015). The paradox of homeless youth pregnancy: A review of challenges and opportunities. Social Work in Health Care, 54(5), 444-460. doi: 10.1080/00981389.2015.1030058
  14. Thompson, S. J., Begun, S., & Bender, K. A. (2016). Pregnancy and parenting among runaway and homeless young women. In S. J. Morewitz & C. Sturdy-Colls (Eds.), Handbook of Missing Persons, An Interdisciplinary Study of Missing Persons.
  15. Eapen, D., Bergh, R., Lucas, S., Narendorf, S., Begun, S., & Santa Maria, D. (under review). Experiences of pregnancy prevention among youth experiencing homelessness. Children & Youth Services Review.
  16. Vandermorris, A., Toulany, A., McKinnon, B., Tam, M., Li, Z., Guan, J., Stukel, T., Fu., L., Wang, X., Begun, S., Harrison, M., Wigle, J., & Brown, H. (under review). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sexual and reproductive health outcomes among adolescent females in Ontario, Canada. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.
  17. Begun, S., Lucas, V., MacEwan, R., & Eapen, D. (in progress). "My initial instinct is to listen": Promoting reproductive justice with under-housed youth.
  18. Begun, S., Lucas, V., MacEwan, R., & Eapen, D. (in progress). Frontline service worker and healthcare provider perspectives on challenges faced by youth experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Evidence for Engaging Youth Experiencing Homelessness in Reproductive and Sexual Health Research

  1. Begun, S.., Weber, A., Spring, J., Arora, S., Frey, C., & Fortin, A. (2020). “This research is cool”: Engaging youth experiencing homelessness in research on reproductive and sexual health. Social Work in Public Health, 35(5), 271-281. doi: 10.1080/19371918.2020.1791296


Evidence for Opportunities and Needs for Training/CPD of Social Workers in SRH Topics

*Note: All data collected were U.S. based, though Canada and U.S. have essentially exact same Codes of Ethics, curricula/accreditation requirements re: Social Work education

  1. Begun, S., Kattari, S. K., McKay, K., Ramseyer Winter, V., & O’Neill, E. (2017). Exploring U.S. social work students’ sexual attitudes and abortion viewpoints. Journal of Sex Research, 54(6), 752-763. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2016.1186586
  2. Ramseyer Winter, V., O’Neill, E., Begun, S., Kattari, S. K., & McKay, K. (2016). MSW student perceptions of sexual health as relevant to the profession: Do social work educational experiences matter? Social Work in Health Care, 55(8), 614-634. doi: 10.1080/00981389.2016.1189476
  3. Begun, S., Bird, M., Ramseyer Winter, V., Combs, K. M., & McKay, K. (2016). Correlates of social work students’ abortion knowledge and attitudes: Implications for education and research. Social Work in Public Health, 31(4), 276-287. doi: 10.1080/19371918.2015.1137510
  4. Gómez, A. M., Downey, M., Carpenter, E., Leedham, U., Begun, S., Ely, G., & Craddock., J. (2020). Advancing reproductive justice to close the health gap: A call to action for social work. Social Work, 65(4), 358-367. doi: 10.1093/sw/swaa034
  5. Ramseyer Winter, V., Kattari, S. K., Begun, S., & McKay, K. (2016). Personal and professional values: Relationships between social workers’ reproductive health knowledge, attitudes, and ethical decision-making. Journal of Social Work Values & Ethics, 13(2), 35-46. Retrieved from: http://jswve.org
  6. Bird, M., Begun, S., & McKay, K. (2018). Religiosity and personal beliefs regarding abortion: Results from a survey of social work students in the United States. Women’s Reproductive Health, 5(2), 117-131. doi: 10.1080/23293691.2018.1463742