Elin C Larsson1, Sarah Fried2, Birgitta Essén3, Marie Klingberg-Allvin4. 1. Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Women's and Children's Health/IMCH, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: elin.larsson@ki.se. 2. Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. 3. Department of Women's and Children's Health/IMCH, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. 4. Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; School of Education, Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore health care providers' experiences of providing care to immigrant women seeking abortion care. METHODS: A qualitative study including interviews with ten midwives and three medical doctors at four abortion clinics in the Stockholm area. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Initially, health care providers were reluctant to make statements concerning the specific needs among immigrant women. Yet, the health care providers sometimes found it challenging to deal with the specific needs among immigrant, mostly non-European, women. Three themes were identified: (1) Reluctance to acknowledge specific needs among immigrant women; (2) Striving to provide contraceptive counselling to immigrant women; (3) Organizational barriers hindering patient-centred abortion care to immigrant women CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers' experiences of the specific needs among non-European, immigrant women are not openly discussed, although they are acknowledged. To achieve equitable access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), health care providers need to be better equipped when encountering immigrant women in abortion care, especially regarding contraceptive counselling. The potential impact of patients' knowledge, norms and values is not adequately dealt with in the clinical encounter. Moreover, to provide patient-centred care, it is crucial to understand how to develop and implement SRH care that ensures equal access to high-quality care.
OBJECTIVE: To explore health care providers' experiences of providing care to immigrant women seeking abortion care. METHODS: A qualitative study including interviews with ten midwives and three medical doctors at four abortion clinics in the Stockholm area. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Initially, health care providers were reluctant to make statements concerning the specific needs among immigrant women. Yet, the health care providers sometimes found it challenging to deal with the specific needs among immigrant, mostly non-European, women. Three themes were identified: (1) Reluctance to acknowledge specific needs among immigrant women; (2) Striving to provide contraceptive counselling to immigrant women; (3) Organizational barriers hindering patient-centred abortion care to immigrant women CONCLUSIONS: Health care providers' experiences of the specific needs among non-European, immigrant women are not openly discussed, although they are acknowledged. To achieve equitable access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH), health care providers need to be better equipped when encountering immigrant women in abortion care, especially regarding contraceptive counselling. The potential impact of patients' knowledge, norms and values is not adequately dealt with in the clinical encounter. Moreover, to provide patient-centred care, it is crucial to understand how to develop and implement SRH care that ensures equal access to high-quality care.
Authors: Juan Carlos Rivillas-García; Ángela Cifuentes-Avellaneda; Johan Sebastián Ariza-Abril; Marcela Sánchez-Molano; Danny Rivera-Montero Journal: J Migr Health Date: 2020-12-11
Authors: Helena Kilander; Maja Weinryb; Malin Vikström; Kerstin Petersson; Elin C Larsson Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2022-04-26 Impact factor: 2.908