Martha Paynter

Part of the GAU/ able to supervise students.

Education

• PhD (Nursing), Dalhousie University (2022)
• BScN, Dalhousie University (2017)
• MSc, McMaster University (2007)
• Master of Development Economics, Dalhousie University (2004)
• BA, McGill University (2001)

Teaching and scholarly expertise

• Community and Population Health
• Communication
• Maternity and Reproductive Health

Research and scholarly grants

2024-2028 CIHR Project Grant “How Far is Too Far: Creating an evidence base to support safe provision of medication abortion for people living far from emergency services.” PI (4): Norman, Henry, Munro, Schummers. Co-I (21): Gemzell Danielsson (Sweden/WHO), Cameron (UK), Mazza (Austral), Abdulai, Begun, Bingham, Brooks, Darling, Davies, Dunn, Martin-Misener, Paynter, Monchalin, Nethery, Pymar, Stroulia, Reynolds-Wright, Cleeve, Vallée, Godfrey, Zhang. $2,927,508.

2025-2027. Research NB Student Support Fund. The Impact Hub: Improving the pregnancy and reproductive health of people experiencing incarceration. NPA: Paynter. $19,000.

2025-2028. CIHR Project Grant. What do Canadians want from abortion care? A mixed methods study to identify priorities. NPA: Paynter. PAs (2): Munro, Trenaman. Co-Is: Begun, S; Brooks, M; Darling, EK; Ennis, M; Jacob, K; Lowik, A; Vallee, C. $478,126.

2025-2028. CIHR Operating Grant. It's My Choice: A mixed methods implementation evaluation of a patient decision aid to support abortion care in Canada. NPA: Brooks. co-PAs Cook, Dol, Munro. co-Is: Cassidy, Hall, Norman, Paynter, Stairs, Thorne, Wahl. $484,216.

2025-2026 CIHR Catalyst Grant. Virtual Care-Generated Inequities Among Trauma Survivors Seeking Abortion Care. NPA: Abdulai. Co-Is: Begun, Brooks, Currie, Johnson, Khera, Lai, Marshall, Norman, Paynter, Vallee. $124,999.

2024-2026. Health Canada Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund. The CART Access Project 3.0: Advancing access to abortion for under-served populations through tools for healthcare professionals and people seeking care. NPA: Norman. PAs: Munro, Abdulai, Begun, Doctoroff, Paynter. $4,054,019.

2024-2025. CIHR-IHSPR Planning and Dissemination Grant. Planning research priorities to improve access to abortion care at all gestational durations for people in New Brunswick. PI: Paynter. Co-Is: Norman, Webster.

2023-2024 Women and Gender Equality (WAGE) Canada “Assessing the Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs, Access, and Outcomes of Incarcerated Women in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Prisons.” PI (1): Paynter. Co-I (4): Liauw, Kouyoumdjian, Edwards. Collaborators (3): Murphy. Women and Gender Equality Canada $40,000.

2023-2028 CIHR Project Grant “Our Health Counts: Population-based measures of urban Indigenous health determinants, health status, and health care access across two cities in New Brunswick.” Nominated PI: Hickey. PAs: McKinnon, Ross. Co-As: Smylie, McConkey, McDonald, Bourque Bearskijn, Rotundi, Phillips-Beck, Graham, Blanchette-Garneau, Camacho, Paynter, Rowett, Doucet, Scott-Story. $1,866,600.

2023-2027 CIHR. National Women’s Health Research Initiative: Pan-Canadian Women’s Health Coalition Hubs. "Improving pregnancy and reproductive health of people experiencing incarceration in Canada by mobilizing knowledge with community partners." $710,504. PI (4): Dr. Jessica Liauw, Dr. Martha Paynter, Dr. Jennifer Hutcheon, Toni Sinclair. Co-I (6): Ms. A. Cavanagh, Dr. F. Kouyoumdjian, Dr. K. McLeod, Ms. L. Morris, Dr. E. Nethery, Dr. L. Schummers, S. Tessier. Collaborators: Wellness Within, Elizabeth Fry Society of Edmonton, Coverdale Justice Society.

2023-2024 Health Canada Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund. The CART Access Project: Advancing access to abortion for under-served populations through tools for healthcare professionals and people seeking care. $3.8 million. PI (5): Norman, Munro, Paynter, Begun, Abdulai.

Research expertise

• Reproductive Health and the Criminal Legal System

Research and scholarly publications

Paynter, M. (2022). Abortion to Abolition: Reproductive Health and Justice in Canada. Halifax: Fernwood Publishing.

Paynter, M., Martin-Misener, R., Iftene, A., & Tomblin Murphy, G. (2023) A qualitative case study of pregnancy and early parenting in Canada’s federal prisons for women. PlosOne.

Paynter, M., Heggie, C. (2023) Distance between institutions of incarceration and procedural abortion facilities in Canada. Contraception.

Paynter, M. Pinzon, P., Heggie, C., McKibbon, S., Munro, S. (2023) Abortion and Contraception for Incarcerated People: A Scoping Review. PlosOne.

Paynter, M., & Norman, W.V. (2022) The intersection of abortion and criminalization: abortion access for people in prisons. Seminars in Reproductive Medicine.

Books

Paynter, M. Lawless: Abortion Access Under Complete Decriminalization. Fernwood Publishing. Halifax: Fernwood Publishing. ISBN: 9781773637501

Journal articles

Paynter, M., Norman, W. (2025). Their bodies, their choice: Canada as a leader in the movement to enhance accessible and safe abortion services. Canadian Family Physician. In press.

Paynter, M., Heggie, C., McLeod, A., Norman, W. (2025). The experiences of family planning health professionals providing care to incarcerated patients: A qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.

Paynter, M., Norman, W.V. (2025). Redefining abortion access in Canada- New Brunswick as a case study. Canadian Journal of Nursing Research.

Paynter, M., Heggie, C., Kouyoumdjian, F., Edwards, R., McLeod, A., Liauw, J. A cross-sectional survey of reproductive, gynecological, and breast health outcomes among people in provincial prisons for women in Atlantic Canada. JOGC.

Owusu-Bempah, A., Lamberti, N., Croxford, R. Osei, B., Butler, A., Elwood Martin, R., Jurgutis, J., McLeod, K., Paynter, M., Sapers, H., Semeniuk, R., Kouyoumdjian, F. G. (2025) COVID-19 impacts on decarceration for Indigenous, Black, and other racialized people in Ontario, Canada: An interrupted time series study. The Lancet Regional Health- Americas.

Heggie, C., Fuller, C., Goudreau, A., & Paynter, M. (2025) Health outcomes and healthcare access experiences of incarcerated and recently released women in rural areas: A scoping review. The Journal of Rural Health.

Paynter, M. (2025). Access to abortion in Canada. The Lancet Public Health.

Paynter, M. (2025). UK birth companions birth charter makes an impact on perinatal care in prisons. Evidence-Based Nursing.

Paynter, M., Heggie, C., McLeod, A., Norman, W. (2024). Abortion and contraception within prison health care: A qualitative study. BMC Women’s Health.

Fuller, C., Tong, L., Paynter, M. (2024) Gender-affirming healthcare for incarcerated transgender and gender diverse people: An international scoping review. Journal of Transgender Health.

Heggie, C., Noonan, A., Paynter, M. (2024). Travel distances from institutions designated to detain women and girls to procedural (surgical) abortion facilities in Australia. Women’s Studies International Forum.

Paynter., M., Heggie, C., McLeod, A., Castonguay, M., Fuller, M., Norman, W. (2025) The role of doulas in abortion care in Canada: A qualitative study. PlosOne.

Paynter, M., & Heggie, C. (2024) Abortion and contraception policy in prisons in Canada. The Prison Journal.

Heggie, C., Paynter, M., Cowal, G. (2024). Doula practice in Canada: An environmental scan. Canadian Journal of Midwifery Research and Practice.

Heggie, C., Tong, L., Heran, A., Bhambhani, I., McKibbon, S., & Paynter, M. (2024) The role of doulas and community birth workers in abortion and contraception care: An international scoping review. Contraception.

Committees and volunteer work

• Spokesperson, New Brunswick Abortion Care Network
• Director of Research, Wellness Within: An Organization for Health and Justice
• Director of Nursing Research, Contraception and Abortion Research
• Team, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia
• Affiliate Scientist, Nova Scotia Women’s Choice Clinic, NS Health Authority
• Adjunct Professor, School of Nursing, Dalhousie University
• Affiliate Scientist, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, IWK Health Centre
• Research Associate, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives-Nova Scotia
• Research Scholar, Health Law Institute, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University