Understanding of birth control methods behaviors within the Syrian refugee population in Turkey

Abstract

Aim: The majority of Syrian women refugees fall in between the reproductive ages of 15-49 years old. This migration has sparked a trend in studying various topics surrounding birth control, family planning and gynecological needs of this growing population. We aimed to learn the possible reasons for the increased birth rate within the Syrian refugee population and how different factors are contributing to the high number of birth rates. Material and Method: This study was conducted at the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department of the Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Research and Training Hospital. The questionnaire was administered to 845 patients. Results: The mean age of the participants was 24.05 ± 6.2 and the mean number of children per woman born in Turkey was 1.02. 59.5% (n=491) of our study population did not use any contraception. 48% of the study population wanted to become pregnant again, 40% of them refused to use birth control based on their religious beliefs and 31% of the participants' husbands wanted another child. Discussion: We hope that with our survey results, future studies can be conducted to help the medical community understand more about pregnancy rates within the Syrian refugee population and the reasons for not utilizing birth control methods.

Demographic Data on Syrians in Turkey: What do we know?

“…There are some studies that provide some statistics on proximate determinants of fertility, and mother and child health. A study from a public hospital in Bursa province indicated that more than half (60 percent) of women of reproductive ages did not use any contraception (Cıft et al., ). In 2013, camp administrators were reported to state that contraception was available, yet demand was low due to the losses of the war (Dinçer et al., ); where the aforementioned study from Bursa found that 32 out of 826 women lost a child during displacement.…”