Metusela Christine, Ussher Jane, Perz Janette, Hawkey Alexandra, Morrow Marina, Narchal Renu, Estoesta Jane, Monteiro Melissa
Western Sydney University, Penrith, Australia.
York University, Toronto, Canada.
Int J Behav Med. 2017 Dec;24(6):836-845. doi: 10.1007/s12529-017-9662-3.
Migrant and refugee women are at risk of negative sexual and reproductive health (SRH) outcomes due to low utilisation of SRH services. SRH is shaped by socio-cultural factors which can act as barriers to knowledge and influence access to healthcare. Research is needed to examine constructions and experiences of SRH in non-English-speaking migrant and refugee women, across a range of cultural groups.
This qualitative study examined the constructions and experiences of SRH among recent migrant and refugee women living in Sydney, Australia, and Vancouver, Canada. A total of 169 women from Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, India, Sri Lanka and South America participated in the study, through 84 individual interviews, and 16 focus groups comprised of 85 participants. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.
Three themes were identified: "women's assessments of inadequate knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and preventative screening practices", "barriers to sexual and reproductive health" and "negative sexual and reproductive health outcomes". Across all cultural groups, many women had inadequate knowledge of SRH, due to taboos associated with constructions and experiences of menstruation and sexuality. This has implications for migrant and refugee women's ability to access SRH education and information, including contraception, and sexual health screening, making them vulnerable to SRH difficulties, such as sexually transmissible infections and unplanned pregnancies.
It is essential for researchers and health service providers to understand socio-cultural constraints which may impede SRH knowledge and behaviour of recent migrant and refugee women, in order to provide culturally safe SRH education and services that are accessible to all women at resettlement irrespective of ethnicity or migration category.
由于性与生殖健康（SRH）服务利用率低，移民和难民妇女面临不良性与生殖健康结果的风险。性与生殖健康受社会文化因素影响，这些因素可能成为获取知识的障碍并影响医疗保健的可及性。需要开展研究，以考察非英语移民和难民妇女在一系列文化群体中性与生殖健康的观念及经历。
这项定性研究考察了居住在澳大利亚悉尼和加拿大温哥华的新移民和难民妇女中性与生殖健康的观念及经历。共有来自阿富汗、伊拉克、索马里、南苏丹、苏丹、印度、斯里兰卡和南美洲的169名妇女参与了该研究，通过84次个人访谈以及由85名参与者组成的16个焦点小组进行。采用主题分析法对数据进行分析。
确定了三个主题：“妇女对性与生殖健康及预防性筛查做法知识不足的评估”、“性与生殖健康的障碍”以及“不良性与生殖健康结果”。在所有文化群体中，许多妇女由于与月经和性行为的观念及经历相关的禁忌，对性与生殖健康知识了解不足。这影响了移民和难民妇女获取性与生殖健康教育及信息（包括避孕和性健康筛查）的能力，使她们易患性与生殖健康问题，如性传播感染和意外怀孕。
研究人员和卫生服务提供者必须了解可能阻碍新移民和难民妇女性与生殖健康知识及行为的社会文化限制因素，以便提供文化上安全的、所有重新安置的妇女均可获得的性与生殖健康教育和服务，无论其种族或移民类别如何。
