The Stigma of Reproductive Health Services Utilization by Unmarried Women

Mohammadi, Fatemeh; Kohan, Shahnaz; Mostafavi, Firoozeh; Gholami, Ali

doi:10.5812/ircmj.24231

Cited by 24 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The results of 59 published papers were synthesised. Thirty-eight studies were cross-sectional surveys , nineteen were qualitative studies [72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88][89][90], and two employed mixed methods design [91,92]. Table 1 shows The majority of studies were conducted in Iran and Turkey, which are the fastest growing medical research output in the Middle East [93].…”

Section: Study Design and Sample Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Findings suggested that mothers' attitudes towards SRH education affected young girls' access to information and education [77][78][79]. Many mothers wanted their daughters to learn but felt that they had inadequate information to give them, and others were embarrassed discussing such matters with their daughters [70,78].…”

Section: Theme 3: Barriers To Sexual and Reproductive Health Educatiomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since unmarried women are believed to be sexually inactive, it is sometimes improper for them to even discuss contraception [69,74,[76][77][78]. Young women expressed that they faced negative reactions when they enquired about contraception.…”

Section: Theme 8: Marital Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unmarried women expressed that they lacked information and felt there was a need for formal SRH education. However, they often experienced opposition from family members when attempting to seek answers on certain sexual and reproductive matters [69,70,74,[76][77][78][79].…”

Section: Theme 8: Marital Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…But my family believes I don't need to know about these subjects, as I am unmarried." Unmarried woman, age 38 -Iran [77].…”

Section: Theme 8: Marital Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors influencing sexual and reproductive health of Muslim women: a systematic review

et al. 2020

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Background: In Islamic societies, issues related to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) are rarely discussed and considered sensitive subjects. This review aimed to identify any personal, religious, cultural, or structural barriers to SRH service and education among Muslim women worldwide. Methods: A search for qualitative and quantitative studies was conducted on seven electronic databases. A narrative synthesis using thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Fifty-nine studies were included from 22 countries: 19 qualitative, 38 quantitative and two mixed methods. Many Muslim women have poor SRH knowledge, and negative attitudes which influence their access to, and use of SRH services. Barriers to contraception use among Muslim women included a lack of basic reproductive knowledge, insufficient knowledge about contraception, misconceptions, and negative attitudes. Women had negative attitudes towards family planning for limiting the number of children but not for child spacing, which reflected religious views towards family planning. Religious and cultural beliefs were barriers to contraception use and access to SRH services and information. Family and the community have a significant impact on women's contraceptive use and access to SRH services. Husband and family opposition played a significant role in contraception access and use. Fear of stigmatization and being labelled as having premarital sexual relations among unmarried women acted as the main barrier to accessing contraception and seeking SRH information and services. Conclusion: The findings reveal that there are multiple levels of factors that influence Muslim women's SRH. Poor SRH knowledge and practices among Muslim women is complex matter that is affected by personal, community, cultural, religious factors and existing policies and regulations. All these factors overlap and are affected by each other. There is an urgent need for interventions addressing modifiable barriers to SRH education and services to improve knowledge, informed choice and access to services to facilitate better sexual and reproductive wellbeing for Muslim women. It is important to note that while this review aimed to report findings on Muslim women, we acknowledge that significant variations exist within every culture and religion.

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Section: Study Design and Sample Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theme 3: Barriers To Sexual and Reproductive Health Educatiomentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theme 8: Marital Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theme 8: Marital Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…But my family believes I don't need to know about these subjects, as I am unmarried." Unmarried woman, age 38 -Iran [77].…”

Section: Theme 8: Marital Statusmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors influencing sexual and reproductive health of Muslim women: a systematic review

et al. 2020

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Barriers to Sexual and Reproductive Wellbeing Among Saudi Women: a Qualitative Study

et al. 2021

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Introduction In Saudi Arabia, sexual and reproductive health education is not offered in any formal setting, and there is a significant lack of knowledge amongst Saudi women. This study aimed to explore barriers to Saudi women’s sexual and reproductive wellbeing. Methods The study employed qualitative methods using semi-structured interviews with women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2019. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Twenty-eight women were interviewed. Sexual and reproductive wellbeing is a complex matter affected by personal, familial, environmental, socio-cultural, religious, and institutional factors. Being unmarried is a significant barrier to accessing sexual and reproductive information and services, with ignorance signifying modesty and purity. Parental control acted as a barrier to acquiring knowledge and accessing essential healthcare services. Schools contribute to lack of awareness, with teachers omitting sexual and reproductive health-related subjects and evading answering questions. Conclusions There are multiple factors that restrict Saudi women’s access to sexual and reproductive health information and services, impacting their overall wellbeing. Research and policy efforts should be directed towards overcoming the complex barriers to Saudi women’s sexual and reproductive wellbeing. Public health initiatives are needed to improve youth, parents, and teacher’s knowledge, and improve public perceptions towards sexual and reproductive health education.

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