What does better sexual and reproductive health look like? This is the question Women’s Health Goulburn North East and Women’s Health Loddon Mallee put to women across our regions, to find community driven solutions that aim to improve rural access to health equity in our project Long Story Short: Reshaping the narrative of women’s sexual and reproductive health.
Watch the launch of the Long Story Short report.
The key themes that emerged from community consultation were:
- Accessibility and Availability
- Stigma and Societal Attitudes
- Education and Awareness
- Privacy and Confidentiality
- Innovation and Improvement
- Quality of Care
Alongside the quantitative data and consultation with health professionals, these themes informed the 39 recommendations within the Long Story Short report. Below is a summary of the core recommendation areas – you can read the full suite of recommendations in the report, linked above.
CORE RECOMMENDATION 1: Advocate for increased SRH service provision in regional, rural, and remote communities, with services that are free from stigma and discrimination.
The sub-recommendations include actions like developing community partnerships, expanding regional infrastructure, supporting collaboration and networking and advocating for the expansion of nurse and midwife led models of care. Through these sub-recommendations, runs the thread of equity, person-centred care and a holistic, inclusive, whole of community approach to SRH.
CORE RECOMMENDATION 2: Implement and support primary prevention activities that will increase regional and rural women’s access to safe and appropriate SRH information and services.
This recommendation focuses on creating a foundation of knowledge and support for women in our communities, helping them make informed decisions about their SRH, and can be supported through partnerships to develop place-based health promotion and education initiatives and counter stigma.
CORE RECOMMENDATION 3: Develop initiatives that provide safe and respectful SRH environments that are person-centred, culturally appropriate, and rights-based.
This recommendation emphasizes the importance of ensuring our SRH environments are welcoming and inclusive for all women, particularly those from marginalised backgrounds.
The sub-recommendations emphasise the importance of incorporating lived and living experience within the evidence base, encouraging and supporting service providers to review policies and practices through an inclusive gender lens, investigating co-design opportunities and ensuring that health promotion and health services are engaged in these processes together.
Click on the image to read a case study summarising the Long Story Short project.
