Join us on Wednesday, June 3rd, as the AVA Webinar Series presents Gynecological and Obstetric Violence, featuring Dr. Sylvie Lévesque and Dr. Geneviève Lessard from Applied and Interdisciplinary Research on Intimate, Family, and Structural Violence.
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026
12 – 1:30pm MST
Experiences with gynecological and obstetric care are not the same for everyone. For some, these are positive experiences that help them address the reproductive and sexual health issues they face, while for others, they are dehumanizing or even violent. Some leave the doctor’s office feeling more traumatized than when they arrived.
Drawing on quantitative and qualitative data collected in Quebec over the past two years by the PAROLES project, this presentation will highlight areas of tension between the needs of women and individuals receiving this care and the care as it is currently provided. We will specifically address the relationship between healthcare providers and patients, autonomy, and free will, concluding with several recommendations formulated by those most directly affected.
About the Speakers
Dr. Sylvie Lévesque, PhD, has been a professor in the Department of Sexology since 2012. She holds degrees in sexology and public health and has several years of experience in intervention and supervision. Her current research interests include intimate partner violence and violence against women, motherhood in vulnerable situations, reproductive coercion, perinatal domestic violence, gynecological and obstetric violence, and the burden of contraception. She is also interested in women’s rights related to sexual and reproductive health. The majority of her research is conducted in close collaboration with community and institutional partners. She has been a regular researcher at RAIV since its inception.
Dr. Geneviève Lessard, PhD, is a full professor in the School of Social Work and Criminology at Laval University. She is the director of RAIV’s Strategic Group (Applied and Interdisciplinary Research on Intimate, Family, and Structural Violence), funded by the FRQ, as well as the SSHRC Partnership Project titled “Retranche la violence.” Her work focuses on the various forms of victimization experienced by children, including exposure to domestic and family violence, the development and evaluation of innovative prevention tools, parenting, and collaboration among domestic and family violence support services.
* Please note that this webinar will be conducted entirely in French, with English translation provided.*