‘But Because I Don’t Know About It, That’s Why I Haven’t Done It’: Experiences of Access to Preventive Sexual and Reproductive Health Care for Refugee Women from Iraq and Syria Living in Melbourne, Australia—A Qualitative Study

TL;DR

This study explores how refugee women from Iraq and Syria in Melbourne access preventive sexual and reproductive health care, highlighting barriers and potential solutions.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the SRH care experiences of Iraqi and Syrian refugee women in Australia through qualitative analysis.

Findings

Refugee women face barriers like lack of awareness and structural challenges in accessing preventive SRH care.

Educational initiatives and improved access to health information are critical for better SRH outcomes.

Self-care and low motivation to seek care were common among participants.

Abstract

Women from Syria and Iraq constitute two of the largest groups of humanitarian visa entrants to Australia in the past 10 years. Barriers to and enablers of preventive sexual and reproductive health (SRH) for these women are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to establish the preventive SRH care needs and experiences of women from refugee backgrounds from Syria and Iraq living in Australia. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with women from Syria and Iraq living in Melbourne, Australia. Caseworkers assisted with recruitment and volunteer interpreters with interviews. Between 1 December 2021 and 17 May 2022, interviews were conducted in English or in Arabic with a volunteer interpreter. Audio recordings of English dialogue were transcribed verbatim. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse and report data. Eighteen women were interviewed. Six themes were identified: (1) Awareness and knowledge about preventive SRH, (2) Perceptions about the need for preventive SRH care seeking, (3) Self-care and lack of motivation to seek preventive SRH care, (4) Health information seeking, and (5) Barriers to and enablers of preventive SRH care. Complex factors were found to influence access to preventive SRH care. Enhancing educational initiatives, improving accessibility to reliable health information, and addressing structural and motivational barriers are important for fostering better preventive SRH outcomes.