Crossing Borders: SRH Challenges Among Immigrant and Minority Adolescents

TL;DR

Immigrant and minority adolescents face unique challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive health services due to cultural, language, and systemic barriers.

Contribution

The paper emphasizes the need for co-designed, culturally appropriate SRH interventions and policy shifts to address these disparities.

Findings

Migration disrupts SRH development and access to services for young immigrants.

Digital health and community-based interventions show promise in improving SRH access.

Persistent barriers include limited data, inadequate policy attention, and insufficient funding.

Abstract

The adolescent years are pivotal in reproductive and sexual development and maturation, yet the experience of migration can severely disrupt this period, inhibiting young immigrants’ knowledge, access, and engagement with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. Further, young immigrants and minority populations often face persistent intersectional barriers, including language difficulties, cultural stigma, and systemic exclusion, that result in adverse SRH outcomes. Recent advances in SRH care, particularly in digital health and community-based interventions, show promise in improving access to culturally appropriate SRH services and information. Co-designing SRH programs with families and young immigrants to adequately acknowledge the unique cultural norms and barriers in SRH is essential in ensuring a high outreach of interventions. Shifts in traditional health policies are needed to ensure that immigrant and minority adolescents are not overlooked and that SRH programs incorporate culturally relevant content that is easily and widely accessible. Despite positive shifts, several barriers remain: limited disaggregated data on diverse populations, inadequate policy attention, and the insufficient scalability and funding of promising interventions. Future research and promotional efforts must prioritise the co-creation of SRH interventions with stakeholders and affected communities, ensuring that services are sustainable, culturally appropriate, and accessible to all adolescents.

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