Thank you for your interest in this survey. This survey is now closed.
Title of Study: A Study of Lesbians' Experiences with Healthcare Professionals
You are asked to participate in a research study conducted by Melissa St. Pierre, Doctoral Candidate in Applied Social Psychology
at the University of Windsor in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Charlene Senn, Professor from the Department of Psychology, is supervising
this research. If you have any questions or concerns about the research, please feel free to contact Melissa or Dr. Senn:
Melissa St. Pierre,
519-253-3000 ext. 4703
stpier4@uwindsor.ca
Dr. Charlene Senn,
519-253-3000 ext. 2255
csenn@uwindsor.ca
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study is to learn more about the healthcare experiences of lesbian women living in Canada and the United States.
Who can participate:
You are invited to participate if you:
1. Self-identify as a lesbian.
2. Are 16 years or older and live in Canada.
OR
3. Are 18 years or older and live in the United States.
PROCEDURES
If you volunteer to participate in this study, you will be asked to do the following things:
Read through this consent form and decide whether or not you would like to participate in this study. To participate, go to the survey
by clicking on the link provided below. To access the survey you will need to enter the ID and password provided at the end of this consent form.
Once you go to the survey, you will be presented with a series of questions that will ask about your experiences in healthcare settings.
First, you will be asked to provide some background information about yourself. Next, you will be asked to complete questions inquiring about your health,
your social attitudes, health seeking behaviours, and your experiences with healthcare providers (both positive and negative).
Once you complete the survey (or if you decide not to participate), you will be directed to more information on the study, as well as a list of resources
on lesbian health. The survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete.
POTENTIAL RISKS AND DISCOMFORTS
Any request for information about your experiences with healthcare professionals has the potential to bring up memories of the best and worst experiences you
have had. Reflecting on these experiences can bring up a range of emotions. If after you complete the survey you feel you would benefit from talking more about
these experiences, a range of resources has been provided for you to consult.
POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO PARTICIPANTS AND/OR TO SOCIETY
There are no direct benefits to you from participating in this research. However, results from this study will be used to help understand the healthcare
experiences of lesbians living in Canada and the United States. By participating in this study, your responses will contribute to what is known about lesbians'
health and healthcare needs.
PAYMENT FOR PARTICIPATION
There is no payment for participating in this study, however, to thank you for your help, you are invited to enter into a draw for 1 of 5 $100 cash prizes.
Once you complete the study, you will be provided with an area where you can enter your contact information if you would like to be included into the draw.
Your contact information will
NOT be linked to your survey responses in any way because the website collecting this information is a separate URL from
the survey website. Following the completion of the study (no later than fall 2012), the five winners of the draw will be notified, and a cheque for $100 will be mailed
to them in the currency of their country of residence.
CONFIDENTIALITY
Your participation in this study is completely voluntary and your responses will remain anonymous. Your answers cannot be matched to your identity or location
and will be released only as summaries grouped with other people's responses. Information about the computer and Internet service provider you are using will not
be collected. Your survey responses are entered into a non-identifiable data file with other people's responses. If you choose to enter your contact information
into the draw, this information will not be linked to your survey responses, will be kept in a password protected file on a secure server in Canada, and will be
deleted once the draw has been awarded.
PARTICIPATION AND WITHDRAWAL
You can choose whether to be in this study or not. If you volunteer to be in this study, you may withdraw prior to submitting your survey, without consequences of
any kind. Any research study benefits from having as much complete information as possible from participants. However, if you are uncomfortable about answering
any question you may refuse to answer a question by skipping it, or you can change your mind and leave the study at any time without consequences. To leave the
study, simply close the web browser window.
Closing your browser does not withdraw your answers to that point. To withdraw your data you must do so prior to submitting your survey by clicking the
"Withdraw Data" button. Once you have submitted your survey, it is no longer possible to withdraw your data because your responses are entered into a non-identifiable
data file. If you withdraw your data you can still enter your email address into the draw.
FEEDBACK OF THE RESULTS OF THIS STUDY TO THE PARTICIPANTS
A summary of results of this study will be available on the web by the end of 2012.
Web address:
www.uwindsor.ca/reb
Date when results are available: no later than December 31, 2012
SUBSEQUENT USE OF DATA
This data may be used in subsequent studies.
RIGHTS OF RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS
You may withdraw your consent at any time
prior to submitting your survey and discontinue participation without penalty.
If you have questions regarding your rights as a research participant, contact: Research Ethics Coordinator, University of Windsor,
Windsor, Ontario, N9B 3P4; Telephone: 519-253-3000, ext. 3948; email:
ethics@uwindsor.ca
Thank you for your interest in this survey. This survey is now closed.