Melissa Braschel
Biographic Data
| ID | 3559155 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Melissa Braschel |
| GIVEN NAMES | Melissa |
| FAMILY NAME | Braschel |
| SIGNATURE | BRASCHEL M |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of British Columbia |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 31 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 40 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 31 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2018 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Navigating Barriers
This study investigates the intersectional barriers to routine healthcare access experienced by marginalized Indigenous women, including sex workers and women living with HIV, in Vancouver, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on data from 142 Indigenous participants in the AESHA and SHAWNA cohorts collected between October 2020 and August 2021, the research employs bivariate and multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimati…
Higher Sexual Relationship Power Associated With Optimal HIV Treatment and Care Outcomes Among Women Living With HIV in Heterosexual Relationships in Metro Vancouver
In this study among a longitudinal cohort of women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Metro Vancouver, Canada (2014-2019), we used bivariate and multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to investigate associations between low, medium, and high relationship power and two outcomes among women in heterosexual relationships: (1) being on antiretroviral therapy (ART); (2) optimal ART use. Multivariable ana…
HIV disclosure without consent linked to increased violence against women living with HIV in a Canadian setting
Our study examined the association between HIV disclosure without consent and verbal and/or physical violence due to HIV status among women living with HIV (WLWH). This study draws on baseline data of a sample (N = 316) from SHAWNA, a longitudinal community-based open cohort with WLWH in Metro Vancouver, Canada (2010-2019). Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with physical and/or verbal viole…
Pandemic-related challenges accessing food and primary healthcare among sex workers during the Covid-19 pandemic
Findings provide insight about the potential role community-based healthcare delivery settings (e.g., community clinics) can play in ameliorating access to basic needs such as food among those who are highly marginalized. Future pandemic response efforts should also take the most marginalized populations' needs into consideration by establishing strategies to ensure continuity of essential services providing food and other basic needs. Lastly, po…
Stigma trajectories, disclosure, access to care, and peer-based supports among African, Caribbean, and Black im/migrant women living with HIV in Canada
Our findings indicate that im/migration trajectories of African, Caribbean, and Black women living with HIV are critically related to accessing HIV care and supports in Canada and compound HIV stigma and discrimination. HIV disclosure without consent complicates access to care and social/peer support, underscoring the need for privacy, confidentiality, and the importance of building trust in the context of clinical encounters. The results of this…
Stigma, Discrimination and Other Social-Structural Factors Associated with Barriers to Counselling or Therapy among Women Living with HIV Who have Experienced Violence in Metro Vancouver, Canada
Gaps in health coverage for racialized im/migrant sex workers in metro Vancouver
Policy and program reforms are needed to decouple health insurance access from immigration status, remove mandatory waiting periods for health insurance coverage, and ensure that provincial insurance provides sufficient coverage for marginalized women's healthcare needs
Precarious Housing Associated with Unsuppressed Viral load, sub-optimal Access to HIV Treatment and Unmet Health care Needs, Among Women Living with HIV in Metro Vancouver, Canada
Negative changes in illicit drug supply during Covid-19
Over two-thirds of participants experienced negative changes to illicit drug supply during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The association between experiencing negative changes in the illicit drug supply and accessing overdose prevention services highlights the agency of women in taking measures to address overdose-related risks. Highly criminalized women who experience structural barriers to direct services are also vulnerable to fluctu…
Housing Instability and Evictions Linked to Elevated Intimate Partner and Workplace Violence Among Women Sex Workers in Vancouver, Canada
Objectives. To model the relationship of unstable housing and evictions with physical and sexual violence perpetrated against women sex workers in intimate and workplace settings. Methods. We used bivariate and multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to model the association of unstable housing exposure and evictions with intimate partner violence (IPV) and workplace violence among a community-based longitudinal co…
Sars-CoV-2 testing and Covid-19–related primary care use among people with citizenship, permanent residency, and temporary immigration status
Interwoven immigration, health, and occupational policies place people with temporary status in circumstances of precarity and higher health risk. Reducing precarity accompanying temporary status, including regularization pathways, and decoupling access to health care from immigration status can address health inequities
Violence against sex workers
Canada is among several countries to have implemented 'end-demand' criminalization frameworks for sex work. Drawing on interviews with sex workers (n = 200) in five cities, we employed multivariate logistic regression to identify associations with workplace violence. We also analysed descriptive data on trafficking and on workplace violence under end-demand legislation. In the past 12 months, being unable to call 911 in a safety emergency at work…
Sex work community participation in criminalized environments
Sex workers who engaged in sex work community participation faced reduced odds of STI seropositivity. Building off reserach evaluating community interventions in low and middle income contexts, our study provides some of the first quantitative evidence on community participation among sex workers in Canada, and is the first to examine this in relation to sexual health outcomes. This research demonstrates the need to scale up community participati…
The prevalence and social-structural correlates of housing status among women living with HIV in Vancouver, Canada
Complex social-structural inequities are associated with housing instability among WLWH. In addition to meeting basic needs for living, to facilitate access to housing among WLWH, housing options that are gender-responsive and gender-inclusive and include trauma- and violence-informed principles, low-barrier requirements, and strong connections with supportive harm reduction services are critical
Seeing pre-screened, regular clients associated with lower odds of workplace sexual violence and condom refusal amidst sex work criminalization
Our findings highlight protective effects of seeing pre-screened regulars within a criminalized setting. Removal of 'end-demand' client criminalization is needed to enable sex workers to effectively screen clients, support HIV/STI prevention, and advance sex workers' human rights
Barriers to Governmental Income Supports for Sex Workers during Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into stark focus the economic inequities faced by precarious, criminalized and racialized workers. Sex workers have been historically excluded from structural supports due to criminalization and occupational stigma. Given emerging concerns regarding sex workers' inequitable access to COVID-19 income supports in Canada and elsewhere, our objective was to identify prevalence and correlates of accessing emergency in…
Prevalence and Correlates of HIV Stigma Among Women Living with HIV in Metro Vancouver, Canada
Overdose among mothers
Sex Workers' Access to Police Assistance in Safety Emergencies and Means of Escape from Situations of Violence and Confinement under an "End Demand" Criminalization Model
There is limited available evidence on sex workers (SW) ability to access police protection or means of escaping situations of violence and confinement under an "end demand" criminalization model. Of 200 SW in five cities in Canada, 62 (31.0%) reported being unable to call 911 if they or another SW were in a safety emergency due to fear of police detection (of themselves, their colleagues or their management). In multivariate logistic regression,…
Violence and other social structural factors linked to incarceration for women living with HIV in Metro Vancouver
Despite women living with HIV (WLWH) being disproportionately criminalized and overrepresented within correctional facilities, there remains limited longitudinal research with WLWH examining factors that make WLWH vulnerable to incarceration. Data are drawn from SHAWNA (Sexual health and HIV/AIDS: Women's Longitudinal Needs Assessment), a community-based research cohort with cisgender and transgender WLWH in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Multivariable…
Lack of full citizenship rights linked to heightened client condom refusal among im/migrant sex workers in Metro Vancouver (2010–2018)
In Canada, im/migrant sex workers face stigma, health access barriers, and overlapping marginalisation, with end-demand law reforms in 2014 postulated to exacerbate these inequities. Yet, little quantitative evidence on how immigration status shapes HIV/STI risk exists. Drawing on community-based longitudinal cohort data (AESHA, 2010-2018), we used multivariable confounder models with logistic regression to model (1) the independent effect of pre…
Police-related barriers to harm reduction linked to non-fatal overdose amongst sex workers who use drugs
Urban gentrification and declining access to HIV/STI, sexual health, and outreach services amongst women sex workers between 2010-2014
Harms of Workplace Inspections for Im/Migrant Sex Workers in In-Call Establishments
Family Separation and Maternal Self-rated Health
Sex Workers' Access to Police Assistance in Safety Emergencies and Means of Escape from Situations of Violence and Confinement under an "End Demand" Criminalization Model
There is limited available evidence on sex workers (SW) ability to access police protection or means of escaping situations of violence and confinement under an "end demand" criminalization model. Of 200 SW in five cities in Canada, 62 (31.0%) reported being unable to call 911 if they or another SW were in a safety emergency due to fear of police detection (of themselves, their colleagues or their management). In multivariate logistic regression,…
Sex workers’ experiences and occupational conditions post-implementation of end-demand criminalization in Metro Vancouver, Canada
Urban gentrification and declining access to HIV/STI, sexual health, and outreach services amongst women sex workers between 2010-2014
Barriers to Governmental Income Supports for Sex Workers during Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into stark focus the economic inequities faced by precarious, criminalized and racialized workers. Sex workers have been historically excluded from structural supports due to criminalization and occupational stigma. Given emerging concerns regarding sex workers' inequitable access to COVID-19 income supports in Canada and elsewhere, our objective was to identify prevalence and correlates of accessing emergency in…
Third Parties (Venue Owners, Managers, Security, etc.) and Access to Occupational Health and Safety Among Sex Workers in a Canadian Setting
Objective. To determine the impact of engagement with third parties (i.e., managers, receptionists, or owners of in-call venues; advertisers; security; spotters; and others) on sex workers’ occupational health access. Methods. We drew longitudinal data from An Evaluation of Sex Workers’ Health Access, a community-based cohort of more than 900 women sex workers. We used multivariable logistic regression and generalized estimating equations to (1) …
Sars-CoV-2 testing and Covid-19–related primary care use among people with citizenship, permanent residency, and temporary immigration status
Interwoven immigration, health, and occupational policies place people with temporary status in circumstances of precarity and higher health risk. Reducing precarity accompanying temporary status, including regularization pathways, and decoupling access to health care from immigration status can address health inequities
Impacts of im/migration experience on work stress among sex workers in Vancouver, Canada
Realizing Women Living with HIV’s Reproductive Rights in the Era of ART
The Effect of Violence and Intersecting Structural Inequities on High Rates of Food Insecurity among Marginalized Sex Workers in a Canadian Setting
Impacts of im/migration experience on work stress among sex workers in Vancouver, Canada
Harms of Workplace Inspections for Im/Migrant Sex Workers in In-Call Establishments
Family Separation and Maternal Self-rated Health
Recent Incarceration as a Primary Barrier to Virologic Suppression Among Women Living with HIV
Third Parties (Venue Owners, Managers, Security, etc.) and Access to Occupational Health and Safety Among Sex Workers in a Canadian Setting
Objective. To determine the impact of engagement with third parties (i.e., managers, receptionists, or owners of in-call venues; advertisers; security; spotters; and others) on sex workers’ occupational health access. Methods. We drew longitudinal data from An Evaluation of Sex Workers’ Health Access, a community-based cohort of more than 900 women sex workers. We used multivariable logistic regression and generalized estimating equations to (1) …
Sex workers’ experiences and occupational conditions post-implementation of end-demand criminalization in Metro Vancouver, Canada
Violence and other social structural factors linked to incarceration for women living with HIV in Metro Vancouver
Despite women living with HIV (WLWH) being disproportionately criminalized and overrepresented within correctional facilities, there remains limited longitudinal research with WLWH examining factors that make WLWH vulnerable to incarceration. Data are drawn from SHAWNA (Sexual health and HIV/AIDS: Women's Longitudinal Needs Assessment), a community-based research cohort with cisgender and transgender WLWH in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Multivariable…
Lack of full citizenship rights linked to heightened client condom refusal among im/migrant sex workers in Metro Vancouver (2010–2018)
In Canada, im/migrant sex workers face stigma, health access barriers, and overlapping marginalisation, with end-demand law reforms in 2014 postulated to exacerbate these inequities. Yet, little quantitative evidence on how immigration status shapes HIV/STI risk exists. Drawing on community-based longitudinal cohort data (AESHA, 2010-2018), we used multivariable confounder models with logistic regression to model (1) the independent effect of pre…
Police-related barriers to harm reduction linked to non-fatal overdose amongst sex workers who use drugs
Urban gentrification and declining access to HIV/STI, sexual health, and outreach services amongst women sex workers between 2010-2014
Prevalence and Correlates of HIV Stigma Among Women Living with HIV in Metro Vancouver, Canada
Overdose among mothers
Sex Workers' Access to Police Assistance in Safety Emergencies and Means of Escape from Situations of Violence and Confinement under an "End Demand" Criminalization Model
There is limited available evidence on sex workers (SW) ability to access police protection or means of escaping situations of violence and confinement under an "end demand" criminalization model. Of 200 SW in five cities in Canada, 62 (31.0%) reported being unable to call 911 if they or another SW were in a safety emergency due to fear of police detection (of themselves, their colleagues or their management). In multivariate logistic regression,…
Violence against sex workers
Canada is among several countries to have implemented 'end-demand' criminalization frameworks for sex work. Drawing on interviews with sex workers (n = 200) in five cities, we employed multivariate logistic regression to identify associations with workplace violence. We also analysed descriptive data on trafficking and on workplace violence under end-demand legislation. In the past 12 months, being unable to call 911 in a safety emergency at work…
Sex work community participation in criminalized environments
Sex workers who engaged in sex work community participation faced reduced odds of STI seropositivity. Building off reserach evaluating community interventions in low and middle income contexts, our study provides some of the first quantitative evidence on community participation among sex workers in Canada, and is the first to examine this in relation to sexual health outcomes. This research demonstrates the need to scale up community participati…
The prevalence and social-structural correlates of housing status among women living with HIV in Vancouver, Canada
Complex social-structural inequities are associated with housing instability among WLWH. In addition to meeting basic needs for living, to facilitate access to housing among WLWH, housing options that are gender-responsive and gender-inclusive and include trauma- and violence-informed principles, low-barrier requirements, and strong connections with supportive harm reduction services are critical
Seeing pre-screened, regular clients associated with lower odds of workplace sexual violence and condom refusal amidst sex work criminalization
Our findings highlight protective effects of seeing pre-screened regulars within a criminalized setting. Removal of 'end-demand' client criminalization is needed to enable sex workers to effectively screen clients, support HIV/STI prevention, and advance sex workers' human rights
Barriers to Governmental Income Supports for Sex Workers during Covid-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought into stark focus the economic inequities faced by precarious, criminalized and racialized workers. Sex workers have been historically excluded from structural supports due to criminalization and occupational stigma. Given emerging concerns regarding sex workers' inequitable access to COVID-19 income supports in Canada and elsewhere, our objective was to identify prevalence and correlates of accessing emergency in…
Precarious Housing Associated with Unsuppressed Viral load, sub-optimal Access to HIV Treatment and Unmet Health care Needs, Among Women Living with HIV in Metro Vancouver, Canada
Negative changes in illicit drug supply during Covid-19
Over two-thirds of participants experienced negative changes to illicit drug supply during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The association between experiencing negative changes in the illicit drug supply and accessing overdose prevention services highlights the agency of women in taking measures to address overdose-related risks. Highly criminalized women who experience structural barriers to direct services are also vulnerable to fluctu…
Housing Instability and Evictions Linked to Elevated Intimate Partner and Workplace Violence Among Women Sex Workers in Vancouver, Canada
Objectives. To model the relationship of unstable housing and evictions with physical and sexual violence perpetrated against women sex workers in intimate and workplace settings. Methods. We used bivariate and multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to model the association of unstable housing exposure and evictions with intimate partner violence (IPV) and workplace violence among a community-based longitudinal co…
Sars-CoV-2 testing and Covid-19–related primary care use among people with citizenship, permanent residency, and temporary immigration status
Interwoven immigration, health, and occupational policies place people with temporary status in circumstances of precarity and higher health risk. Reducing precarity accompanying temporary status, including regularization pathways, and decoupling access to health care from immigration status can address health inequities
HIV disclosure without consent linked to increased violence against women living with HIV in a Canadian setting
Our study examined the association between HIV disclosure without consent and verbal and/or physical violence due to HIV status among women living with HIV (WLWH). This study draws on baseline data of a sample (N = 316) from SHAWNA, a longitudinal community-based open cohort with WLWH in Metro Vancouver, Canada (2010-2019). Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate factors associated with physical and/or verbal viole…
Medicine (30 works) · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk (23 works) · Demography (22 works) · Sex work and related issues (22 works) · Environmental health (20 works) · Demography (18 works) · Sociology (18 works) · Family medicine (17 works) · Logistic regression (16 works) · Psychology (15 works)