Besera Ghenet, Vu Milkie, Dogbe Aku, Ta Danny, Escoffery Cam, Copeland Heidi, Hall Kelli S
Department of Behavioral, Social, and Health Education Sciences, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
PEC Innov. 2023 May 29;2:100172. doi: 10.1016/j.pecinn.2023.100172. eCollection 2023 Dec.
This study investigates female refugees' experiences accessing and utilizing sexual and reproductive (SRH) services in the state of Georgia.
We conducted in-person, in-depth semi-structured interviews with 26 female refugee adolescents and adults from Burma, Bhutan or Nepal, and the Democratic Republic of Congo living in Georgia. Questions inquired about perceptions and experiences while accessing and utilizing SRH services. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Participants discussed the importance but also varying influence of social and cultural norms on SRH service utilization. Challenges to accessing and utilizing SRH services included communication and cost barriers. Facilitators included accessible clinic locations, transportation, and positive interactions with clinic providers and staff.
Understanding female refugees' experiences accessing and utilizing SRH services is critical to meet their SRH needs adequately. Through community engagement, practitioners and researchers can gain insights into cultural influences on SRH, address communication and cost barriers, and enhance existing facilitators to increase female refugees' access and use of services.
Our community-engaged study incorporated perspectives of diverse groups of refugee women and adolescents in the Southeastern U.S. Findings from this study highlight lived experiences with SRH services and identify barriers to and facilitators of SRH services access and utilization.
本研究调查了格鲁吉亚州女性难民获得和利用性与生殖健康（SRH）服务的经历。
我们对居住在格鲁吉亚州的26名来自缅甸、不丹、尼泊尔以及刚果民主共和国的女性难民青少年和成年人进行了面对面的深入半结构化访谈。问题涉及获得和利用SRH服务时的看法和经历。采用主题分析法对数据进行分析。
参与者讨论了社会和文化规范对SRH服务利用的重要性及其不同影响。获得和利用SRH服务的挑战包括沟通和成本障碍。促进因素包括诊所位置便利、交通便利以及与诊所提供者和工作人员的积极互动。
了解女性难民获得和利用SRH服务的经历对于充分满足她们的SRH需求至关重要。通过社区参与，从业者和研究人员可以深入了解文化对SRH的影响，解决沟通和成本障碍，并强化现有的促进因素，以增加女性难民获得和使用服务的机会。
我们的社区参与研究纳入了美国东南部不同群体的难民妇女和青少年的观点。本研究的结果突出了SRH服务的实际经历，并确定了SRH服务获得和利用的障碍及促进因素。
