Family planning in refugee settings: findings and actions from a multi-country study

Tanabe, Mihoko; Myers, Anna; Bhandari, Prem; Cornier, Nadine; Doraiswamy, Sathyanarayanan; Krause, Sandra

doi:10.1186/s13031-017-0112-2

Cited by 51 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…At the same time only 16.7% of them used a condom during the last sexual encounter. The low condom use was also documented in three other studies [16,21,27]. This also applies to other contraceptive methods.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 69%

A Systematic Review of Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge, Experiences and Access to Services among Refugee, Migrant and Displaced Girls and Young Women in Africa

Ivanova¹,

Rai²,

Kemigisha

2018

IJERPH

142

104

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Adolescent girls and young women are an overlooked group within conflict- or disaster-affected populations, and their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs are often neglected. Existing evidence shows that forced migration and human mobility make girls and women more vulnerable to poor SRH outcomes such as high risk sexual behaviors, lack of contraception use, STIs and HIV/AIDS. We performed a systematic literature review to explore knowledge, experiences and access to SRH services in this population group across the African continent. Two databases (PubMed and Web of Science) were searched and from 896 identified publications, 15 peer-reviewed articles published in English met the inclusion criteria for this review. These consisted of eight applied qualitative, five quantitative and two mixed-method study designs. The quality of the studies was evaluated by the mixed-methods appraisal tool (MMAT) using scores in percentages (0–100%). Available evidence indicates that knowledge of young women and girls regarding contraceptive methods, STIs and HIV/AIDS are limited. This population group often experiences gender-based and sexual violence and abuse. The access and availability of SRH services are often limited due to distances, costs and stigma. This review demonstrates that there is still a dearth of peer-reviewed literature on SRH related aspects among refugee, migrant and displaced girls and young women in Africa. The data disaggregation by sex and age should be emphasized for future research in this field.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 69%

A Systematic Review of Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge, Experiences and Access to Services among Refugee, Migrant and Displaced Girls and Young Women in Africa

Ivanova¹,

Rai²,

Kemigisha

2018

IJERPH

142

104

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The contraceptive prevalence rate in our study is much lower than that of the general population of married and unmarried sexually active female adolescents in Uganda, which was reported to be 25.2% [16]. Several studies from other refugee settings have reported similar findings of low modern contraceptive use among refugee adolescents [15,22,23]. For example, in a multi country study of refugee settings, current use of contraceptives was reported to be only 4% [22].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 51%

Modern contraceptive use among female refugee adolescents in northern Uganda: prevalence and associated factors

et al. 2020

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Background: Adolescent pregnancies are persistently high among refugees. The pregnancies have been attributed to low contraceptive use in this population. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with modern contraceptive use among female refugee adolescents in northern Uganda. Methods: This was a cross sectional study using both descriptive and analytical techniques. The study was carried out in Palabek refugee settlement in Northern Uganda from May to July 2019. A total of 839 refugee adolescents who were sexually active or in-union were consecutively enrolled. Interviewer administered questionnaires were used for data collection. Results: Modern contraceptive prevalence was 8.7% (95% CI: 7.0 to 10.8). The injectable was the most commonly used modern contraceptive method [42.5% (95% CI: 31.5 to 54.3)], and most of the participants had used the contraceptives for 6 months or less (59.7%). Reasons for not using modern contraceptives included fear of side effects (39.3%), partner prohibition (16.4%), and the desire to become pregnant (7.0%). Participants who were married (OR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.35, p < 0.001), cohabiting (OR = 0.43, 95% CI: 0.20 to 0.93, p = 0.032) or having an older partner (OR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.86 to 0.99, p = 0.046) were less likely to use modern contraceptives. Conclusion: Modern contraceptive use among female refugee adolescents was very low, and few reported a desire to become pregnant, leaving them vulnerable to unplanned pregnancies. Least likely to use modern contraceptives were participants who were married/cohabiting and those having older partners implying a gender power imbalance in fertility decision making. There is an urgent need for innovations to address the gender and power imbalances within relationships, which could shape fertility decision-making and increase modern contraceptive use among refugee adolescents.

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“…While abortion services are available at certain private clinics, we found that financial constraints were a likely barrier for less skilled migrant women. Furthermore, the lack of information on where to obtain safe abortions and the underlying social stigma [35,[45][46][47] are plausible drivers for migrant women to seek unsafe abortions, including unregulated medical abortions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Migrant Women’s Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Malaysia: A Qualitative Study

Loganathan

Chan

Smalen

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Providing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services to migrant workers is key to fulfilling sustainable developmental goals. This study aims to explore key informants’ views on the provision of SRH services for migrant women in Malaysia, exploring the provision of SRH education, contraception, abortion, antenatal and delivery, as well as the management of gender-based violence. In-depth interviews of 44 stakeholders were conducted from July 2018 to July 2019. Data were thematically analysed. Migrant workers that fall pregnant are unable to work legally and are subject to deportation. Despite this, we found that insufficient SRH information and contraceptive access are provided, as these are seen to encourage promiscuity. Pregnancy, rather than sexually transmitted infection prevention, is a core concern among migrant women, the latter of which is not adequately addressed by private providers. Abortions are often seen as the only option for pregnant migrants. Unsafe abortions occur which are linked to financial constraints and cultural disapproval, despite surgical abortions being legal in Malaysia. Pregnant migrants often delay care-seeking, and this may explain poor obstetric outcomes. Although health facilities for gender-based violence are available, non-citizen women face additional barriers in terms of discrimination and scrutiny by authorities. Migrant women face extremely limited options for SRH services in Malaysia and these should be expanded.

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Family planning in refugee settings: findings and actions from a multi-country study

Cited by 51 publications

References 22 publications

A Systematic Review of Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge, Experiences and Access to Services among Refugee, Migrant and Displaced Girls and Young Women in Africa

A Systematic Review of Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge, Experiences and Access to Services among Refugee, Migrant and Displaced Girls and Young Women in Africa

Modern contraceptive use among female refugee adolescents in northern Uganda: prevalence and associated factors

Migrant Women’s Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Malaysia: A Qualitative Study

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