Factors in use of family planning services by Syrian women in a refugee camp in Jordan

Abstract

Several practical measures are identified to address barriers to access, making the article of both practical and academic relevance.

The attitudes of refugee women in Turkey towards family planning

“…This finding in literature is consistent with our study findings. Such factors as patriarchal and religious structure of families in the eastern and Asian countries (Izugbara, Ibisomi, Ezeh, & Mandara, 2010;Mishra, 2004), women's fear of the adverse effects of FP methods (Smith, 2016;West, Isotta-Day, Ba-Break, & Morgan, 2017), insufficiency in women's liberation and decision-making (Karakaya et al, 2017;Senarath & Gunawardena, 2009), tendency to prefer sons rather than daughters (Edmeades, Pande, Falle, & Krishnan., 2012;Filmer, Friedman, & Schady, 2008;Karakaya et al, 2017) and forcing young women to have early births due to social pressures have also been reported to affect the use of FP (Karakaya et al, 2017;McCleary-Sills, McGonagle, & Malhotra, 2012;Najafi-Sharjabad, Yahya, Rahman, Hanafiah, & Manaf, 2013). In our study, Syrian refugee women's attitudes towards FP may be asserted to be at medium level (mean FPAS score = 94.67 ± 17.48).…”

“…In societies with higher educational level, the rate of fertility is decreased (Karakaya et al, 2017). It was determined in previous studies that as the information and awareness levels of women about FP are increased, the rate of using FP is also increased (Karakaya et al, 2017;West et al, 2017). Higher education level can also mean that women work outside the home and possibly have professional status that shifts priorities away from the desire for large families due to a greater sense of personal self-worth beyond the role of parenting.…”

A Qualitative Analysis of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Family Planning Among Syrian Refugees in Lebanon

“…Existing studies also show that pre-conflict awareness/ use of contraception, prevailing beliefs from the host country, and access to SRH services all influence women's perceptions of contraception [8]. In pre-conflict Syria, most primary care and SRH services were free [24] and estimates of contraception use ranged between 54% and 60% with approximately 84% of FP needs being met [25][26][27]. Among displaced Syrian families, on the other hand, cost and access have been identified as important barriers to SRH care.…”

Challenges to understanding the reproductive health needs of women forcibly displaced by the Syrian conflict

“…West et al ’s article in this journal issue looks at barriers to the uptake of family planning among Syrian women living in Jordan in one of the largest camps for Syrian refugees worldwide 1. The article makes a contribution to a growing but still limited literature on sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in humanitarian settings.…”

“…Adult refugees bring with them the healthcare seeking patterns and expectations developed in Syria – a country that before the conflict had extensive and publically provided healthcare services. West et al  find, for example, that refugee women had a high level of acceptability of family planning,1 and note this is not surprising given that they come from a country that had a contraceptive prevalence rate nationally of 54% before the conflict.…”