Reproductive Health Problems in Refugee Women

Year 2023, , 116 - 121, 18.08.2023

Emel Güçlü Cihan Zeliha Özşahin Çiğdem Karakayalı Ay

https://doi.org/10.5152/JMHS.2022.221326

Abstract

For centuries, people had to migrate due to wars, poverty, education, political, and religious reasons. Refugees need basic rights such as nutrition, shelter, education, and health in order to survive in the countries they go to. In our country, which has the largest immigrant population in the world with 4.9 million, the health problems of refugees greatly affect our health system. Refugee
women, who are described as a special group due to the characteristics they have by nature, have problems especially in reproductive health. Women refugees, who make up the majority
of refugees in the world, do not have adequate access to reproductive health services, and this may lead to an increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases, unwanted pregnancies, induced
abortions, pregnancy complications, mother–infant illness, and death. However, refugee women experience health problems such as adolescent pregnancy, inadequate menstrual hygiene,
menstrual irregularities, difficulties in accessing family planning methods, and insufficient time between pregnancies. Meeting the reproductive health needs of refugee women protects the
health of refugee women in particular, while it protects the health of the society in general. The aim of this study is to compile the reproductive health problems of refugee women in the light
of the literature.

Keywords

Reproductive health, sexual health, immigrant women, health services

Mülteci Kadınlarda Üreme Sağlığı Problemleri

Abstract

Yüzyıllar boyunca insanlar; savaşlar, yoksulluk, eğitim, siyasi ve dini nedenlerden dolayı göç etmek zorunda kalmışlardır. Mülteciler; yeni gittikleri ülkelerde yaşamlarını sürdürmek için beslenme,
barınma, eğitim ve sağlık gibi temel haklara ihtiyaç duymaktadır. 4,9 milyon ile dünyadaki en çok göçmen nüfusuna sahip olan ülkemizde mültecilerin sağlık problemleri, sağlık sistemimizi
büyük ölçüde etkilemektedir. Yaradılış gereği sahip oldukları özelliklerden dolayı özel grup olarak nitelenen mülteci kadınlar, özellikle üreme sağlığı konusunda sorun yaşamaktadır. Dünyadaki
mültecilerin çoğunluğunu oluşturan kadın mülteciler, üreme sağlığı hizmetlerine yeterince ulaşamamakta ve bu durum cinsel yolla bulaşan hastalıkların, istenmeyen gebeliklerin, isteyerek
düşüklerin, gebelik komplikasyonlarının, anne-bebek hastalık ve ölüm riskinin artmasına neden olabilmektedir. Bununla birlikte mülteci kadınlarda adölesan gebelik, yetersiz menstrual–hijyen,
menstrüal düzensizlikler, aile planlaması yöntemlerine erişimde zorluklar ve gebelikler arasındaki sürenin yetersiz bırakılması gibi sağlık sorunları yaşanmaktadır. Mülteci kadınların üreme sağlığı
ihtiyaçlarının yeterince karşılanması; özelde mülteci kadınların sağlığını korurken genelde ise toplumun sağlığını korumaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, mülteci kadınların üreme sağlığı konusundaki
yaşadıkları sorunları literatür ışığında derlemektir.

Keywords

Üreme sağlığı, cinsel sağlık, göçmen kadınlar, sağlık hizmetleri

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