Afet Bölgelerinde Yaşayan Kadınların Akut ve Geç Dönem Üreme Sağlığı Sorunlarının ve Sağlık İhtiyaçlarının Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç Bu çalışmanın amacı, afetten etkilenen bir bölgede yaşayan kadınların akut ve uzun dönem üreme sağlığı sorunlarını ve sağlık hizmeti ihtiyaçlarını incelemektir. Yöntemler: Tanımlayıcı tipteki bu çalışma, Hatay Arsuz Devlet Hastanesi Kadın Hastalıkları ve Doğum Polikliniğine başvuran 234 kadın ile yürütülmüştür. Örneklem büyüklüğü Epi Info programı kullanılarak 550 kadınlık bir evren üzerinden %95 güven düzeyi ve %5 hata payı ile hesaplanmıştır. Veriler, araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen ve üç bölümden oluşan yapılandırılmış bir anket kullanılarak yüz yüze görüşmeler yoluyla toplanmıştır. Veri analizi SPSS versiyon 26.0 kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Sonuçlar: Deprem öncesinde katılımcıların %47.9'u bir aile planlaması yöntemi kullandığını belirtirken, bu oran afet sonrasında %38.5'e düşmüştür. Kadınların toplam %63.2'si adet düzensizliği yaşadığını bildirmiştir. En sık bildirilen sağlık sorunları arasında vajinal enfeksiyonlar, idrar yolu enfeksiyonları ve cinsel sağlık sorunları yer almaktadır. Ayrıca, katılımcıların %42.7'si afet sonrasında üreme sağlığı hizmetlerine erişemediklerini belirtmiştir. Barınma sorunları ve aşırı kalabalık yaşam koşullarının da kadın sağlığını olumsuz etkilediği tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç Afetler sonrasında üreme sağlığı hizmetlerine erişim önemli ölçüde kötüleşmektedir. Bu nedenle, afet yönetim planlarında kadınlara yönelik cinsel sağlık ve üreme sağlığı hizmetlerinin kesintisiz olarak sunulmasına öncelik verilmelidir.

Keywords

• Afet
• Üreme Sağlığı
• Kadın sağlığı
• Deprem
• Cinsel sağlık

Assessment of Reproductive Health Problems and Health Service Needs of Women Living in Disaster Areas in Hatay Province Following the Earthquake

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the reproductive health problems and healthcare needs of women living in Hatay Province after the 6 February earthquake. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with 234 women who applied to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Outpatient Clinic of Hatay Arsuz State Hospital. The sample size was calculated using the Epi Info program based on a population of 550 women, with a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire developed by the researchers, consisting of three sections. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.0. Results: Prior to the earthquake, 47.9% of the participants reported using a family planning method, whereas this rate decreased to 38.5% after the disaster. A total of 63.2% of the women reported experiencing menstrual irregularities. The most frequently reported health problems included vaginal infections, urinary tract infections, and sexual health issues. Moreover, 42.7% of the participants stated that they could not access reproductive health services following the disaster. Housing problems and overcrowded living conditions were also found to negatively affect women’s health. Conclusion: The findings indicate that access to reproductive health services significantly deteriorates in the aftermath of disasters, increasing women’s vulnerability to reproductive health problems. Strengthening health infrastructure, ensuring the continuity of contraceptive services, and incorporating preventive and protective reproductive health strategies into disaster preparedness and response plans are crucial to safeguarding women’s health in post-disaster settings.

Keywords

• reproductive health
• Disaster
• women health
• earthquake
• Sexual health

References

1. Ağrali, C., Keskİn Töre, F., Nacar, G., & Öztürk, S. (2025). Effects of Perceived Trauma Levels of Women at Reproductive Age after Earthquakes on Their Menstruation Cycle. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 19, e237. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2025.10159
2. Atakan, A. A. (2023). Being a woman in the earthquake zone; the female face of the earthquake. HASUDER Social Sciences and Health Bulletin, 7, 33–42. Accesed date: 29.08.2025 Accesed: https://sosabulten.com/index.php/sosa/article/view/98/85
3. Ay, İ. İ. (2025). Deprem raporu: Geçici yerleşim alanları. https://www.ttb.org.tr/userfiles/files/ttb_deprem_ikinciay_raporu.pdf (Accessed April 3, 2025)
4. Bahmanjanbeh, F., Kohan, S., Yarmohammadian, M. H., & Haghshenas, A. (2016). Evaluation of reproductive health indicators in women affected by East Azarbaijan earthquake on August 2012. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research, 21(5), 504–509. https://doi.org/10.4103/1735-9066.193414
5. Budhathoki, S. S., Bhattachan, M., Castro-Sánchez, E., Sagtani, R. A., Rayamajhi, R. B., Rai, P., & Sharma, G. (2018). Menstrual hygiene management among women and adolescent girls in the aftermath of the earthquake in Nepal. BMC Women's Health, 18(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-018-0527-y
6. Chaudhary, P., Vallese, G., Thapa, M., Alvarez, V. B., Pradhan, L. M., Bajracharya, K., Sekine, K., Adhikari, S., Samuel, R., & Goyet, S. (2017). Humanitarian response to reproductive and sexual health needs in a disaster: the Nepal Earthquake 2015 case study. Reproductive Health Matters, 25(51), 25–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/09688080.2017.1405664
7. Chynoweth, S. K. (2017). Advancing reproductive health on the humanitarian agenda: The 2012-2014 humanitarian crises in Jordan, South Sudan and the Philippines. Reproductive Health Matters, 25(51), 40–49. https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-1505-9-S1-I1
8. Çöl, M., Bilgili Aykut, N., Usturalı Mut, A.N., Koçak C, Uzun S.U., Akın A., Say, L., & Kobeissi, L. (2020). Sexual and reproductive health of Syrian refugee women in Turkey: a scoping review within the framework of the MISP objectives. Reprod Health 17, 99. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-020-00948-1

9. Demir, E., & Öter, E. G. (2023). Gender in disasters and emergencies and its effects on women's health. In International Conference on Scientific and Academic Research (Vol. 1, pp. 332–341). Accesed date: 29.08.2025 Accesed: https://as-proceeding.com/index.php/icsar/article/download/321/270
10. Djafri, D., Chongsuvivatwong, V., & Geater, A. (2015). Effect of the September 2009 Sumatra earthquake on reproductive health services and MDG 5 in the city of Padang, Indonesia. Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health, 27(2), NP1444–NP1456. https://doi.org/10.1177/1010539513496841
11. Gökçe, I., & Öter, E. G. (2023). Sexual and reproductive health services in disasters in integrated disaster management system. In International Conference on Frontiers in Academic Research (Vol. 1, pp. 523–529). Accesed date: 29.08.2025 Accesed: https://as-proceeding.com/index.php/icfar/article/download/157/108/247
12. Gündüz, F. (2022). Lessons learned from the perspective of women and gender in disasters: The case of Haiti and Japan earthquake. IBAD Journal of Social Sciences, 12, 440–461. https://doi.org/10.21733/ibad.1039215
13. Güzel Inal, C., & Timur Taşhan, S. (2025). The impact of the level by which women were influenced by the earthquake on their menstrual cycles. The Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Research, 51(7), e16350. https://doi.org/10.1111/jog.16350
14. International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). (2023). Unmet need for contraceptives quadruples in parts of earthquake-affected Türkiye. https://www.ippf.org/mediacenter/unmet-need-contraceptivesquadruples-parts-earthquake-affectedturkiye (Accessed April 3, 2025)
15. Kiyak, S., & Batı, S. (2024). The relationship between menstrual cycle pattern and post-traumatic stress in women following the 2023 earthquake in Turkey. Brain and Behavior, 14(9), e70034. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.70034
16. Lian, Q., Ni, J., Zhang, J., Little, J., Luo, S., & Zhang, L. (2020). Maternal exposure to Wenchuan earthquake and prolonged risk of offspring birth outcomes: a natural experiment study. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 20(1), 552. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-020-03206-1
17. Mermer, G., & Dönmez, R. Ö. (2024). Afetlerde cinsel sağlık, üreme sağlığı ve hemşirelik. In G. Karadağ (Ed.), Afetler ve Toplum Sağlığı (1st ed., pp. 19–24). Türkiye Klinikleri.
18. Nugroho, E., Nisa, A. A., Alifah, R. N., Raharjo, B. B., Utami, A. N. M., & Hermawan, D. Y. (2025). Implementation of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) as an Effort to Fulfill Reproductive and Sexual Health Services in Disaster Situations: Systematic Review. Media Publikasi Promosi Kesehatan Indonesia (MPPKI), 8(1), 42-55. https://doi.org/10.56338/mppki.v8i1.6485
19. Onal, F. G., & Marangoz, B. (2025). How Gender-Sensitive Disaster Management is Addressed in the Turkish Parliament: A Qualitative Study from Feminist Bioethics Perspective. BMC Women's Health, 25(1), 348. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03629-y
20. Özdemir, N. (2024). Depremin ardından kadınlar ve kız çocukları: Türkiye’deki depremlerin etkisi – Deprem sonrası adalete erişimin önündeki engeller. https://eca.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2024-03/her_aftermath_deprem_sonrasi_adalete_erisimin_onundeki_engeller_aralik_23_tr_0.pdf (Accessed April 3, 2025)
21. Özer, E., Şen, Y. Ç., Güler, D. S., & Güvenç, G. (2025). Experiences of women relocated due to the february 2023 earthquake in Turkey: a qualitative study. BMC Women's Health, 25(1), 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-025-03554-0
22. Powell, T., Li, S. J., Hsiao, Y., Ettari, C., Bhandari, A., Peterson, A., & Shakya, N. (2019). Investigating the Aftershock of a Disaster: A Study of Health Service Utilization and Mental Health Symptoms in Post-Earthquake Nepal. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(8), 1369. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16081369
23. Rajabi, E., Khankeh, H., Ranjbar, M., Mousavi, M., Norouzi, M., & Farokhi, M. (2022). Evaluation of women's reproductive health status after Kermanshah earthquake. Health in Emergencies and Disasters Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.32598/hdq.7.4.271.2
24. Strid, P., Snead, M. C., Galang, R. R., Bish, C. L., & Ellington, S. R. (2022). Fertility and contraception among women of reproductive age following a disaster: A scoping review. Reproductive Health, 19(1), 147. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01436-4
25. Takeda, T., & Shiina, M. (2018). Effect of an educational program on adolescent premenstrual syndrome: lessons from the great East Japan earthquake. Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, 95-101. https://doi.org/10.2147/AHMT.S169944
26. T.C. Ministry of Family and Social Services. (n.d.). What is psychosocial support? https://www.aile.gov.tr/Raporlar/ATHGM/Psikosoyal_Destek_%20Nedir.pdf (Accessed April 3, 2025)
27. T.C. Presidency of Strategy and Budget Directorate. (2025). Kahramanmaraş and Hatay Earthquakes Reconstruction and Development Report. https://www.sbb.gov.tr/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Kahramanmaras-ve-Hatay-Depremleri-Yeniden-Imar-ve-Gelisme-Raporu.pdf
28. UN Women. (2023). Brief on earthquakes in Türkiye: Impact and priorities for women and girls. https://eca.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2023-04/UN%20Women%20Brief%20on%20Earthquake%20in%20Turkiye%20Gendered%20impacts%20and%20response.pdf (Accessed April 3, 2025)
29. Yakıt Ak, E., & Aslan, E. (2024). Earthquake and women's reproductive health. Journal of Women’s Health Nursing (JOWHEN), 10(1), 43–51.