Between worlds: Cis-and trans-identifying diaspora Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) women in Ontario, Canada on the intersections of gender, sexuality and sexual health

dc.contributor.authorKteily-Hawa, Roula
dc.contributor.authorFalenchuk, Olesya
dc.contributor.authorMomani, Bessma
dc.contributor.authorChikermane, Vijaya
dc.contributor.authorBartels, Susan
dc.contributor.authorAnand, Praney
dc.contributor.authorYounes, Rania
dc.contributor.authorAbdel-Tawab, Nahla
dc.contributor.authorAbuelezam, Nadia N.
dc.contributor.authorHammad, Lina
dc.contributor.authorPahlevan, Tina
dc.contributor.authorEloulabi, Rama
dc.contributor.authorEzzeddine, Ahmad
dc.contributor.authorAl-Ezzawi, Anmar
dc.contributor.authorAkel, Mohammed
dc.contributor.authorLoutfy, Mona
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-09T15:41:24Z
dc.date.available2025-06-09T15:41:24Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description© 2024 Kteily-Hawa et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
dc.description.abstractYouth Sexual Health and HIV/STI Prevention in Middle Eastern and North African Communities (YSMENA) is the first community-based research study in Canada to explore key determinants of sexual health among diaspora Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) women living in Canada. Our objectives were to identify the factors influencing sexual health for MENA youth and grow an evidence base to strengthen the sexual health response for MENA communities. Using mixed-method design, data were gathered through a quantitative socio-demographic survey and qualitative focus groups with 24 women-identifying MENA youth (16-29 years) living in Ontario, Canada. Six (6) focus groups were held virtually via Zoom, with heterosexual, lesbian, bisexual and queer (LBQ), and trans women. Members of each group participated in two sessions as per the sequential critical dialogical method and transcripts were coded in NVIVO. While participants identified with diverse sexual orientations and across the trans-feminine gender spectrum, key commonalities surfaced, namely the pressures to conform to familial expectations and the barriers faced when accessing healthcare. The trans group experienced compounded levels of exclusion given their unique positioning. Although the challenges faced by the group were deeply entrenched in patriarchy, heteronormativity and internalized shame, many participants demonstrated resilience and self-acceptance that enabled them to forge pathways to health. Findings have important and valuable implications for community-based health programs targeting MENA women as well as healthcare practitioners and service providers.
dc.description.sponsorshipCanadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), CDE-162931.
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003854
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10012/21839
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherPublic Library of Science (PLOS)
dc.relation.ispartofseriesPLOS Global Public Health; 4(11)
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subjecthuman families
dc.subjectbehavioral and social aspects of health
dc.subjectculture
dc.subjectmothers
dc.subjectCanada
dc.subjectheterosexuals
dc.subjectHIV
dc.subjectmedical risk factors
dc.titleBetween worlds: Cis-and trans-identifying diaspora Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) women in Ontario, Canada on the intersections of gender, sexuality and sexual health
dc.typeArticle
dcterms.bibliographicCitationKteily-Hawa, R., Falenchuk, O., Momani, B., Chikermane, V., Bartels, S., Anand, P., Younes, R., Abdel-Tawab, N., Abuelezam, N. N., Hammad, L., Pahlevan, T., Eloulabi, R., Ezzeddine, A., Al-Ezzawi, A., Akel, M., & Loutfy, M. (2024). Between worlds: Cis-and Trans-identifying Diaspora Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) women in Ontario, Canada on the intersections of gender, sexuality and sexual health. PLOS Global Public Health, 4(11). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003854
uws.contributor.affiliation1Faculty of Arts
uws.contributor.affiliation2Political Science
uws.peerReviewStatusReviewed
uws.scholarLevelFaculty
uws.typeOfResourceTexten

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