Providers' Perceptions of Challenges in Obstetrical Care for Somali Women

An anthropological analysis of the perspectives of Somali women in the West and their obstetric care providers on caesarean birth

We explored the perceptions of 39 Somali women and 62 obstetric care providers in London in relation to caesarean birth, as borne out of a paradox we recognised from evidence-based information about the Somali group. Socio-cultural factors potentially leading to adverse obstetric outcome were identified using in-depth and focus group interviews with semi-structured, open-ended questions. A cult...

Facing the Healthcare System as a Refugee: The Plight of Somali Women

This study uses a qualitative approach to examine how biopolitics and medical dominance affect the lives of refugee women of Somali origin. The focus is specifically on looking at the challenges which they face in negotiating the healthcare system of a Western city in the United States. The study utilizes the context of prenatal care and delivery to examine the way this subordinate group is tre...

Building community-based participatory research partnerships with a Somali refugee community.

BACKGROUND The U.S. has become home to growing numbers of immigrants and refugees from countries where the traditional practice of female genital cutting (FGC) is prevalent. These women under-utilize reproductive health care, and challenge healthcare providers in providing culturally appropriate care. PURPOSE This study examined Somali immigrant women's experiences with the U.S. healthcare sy...

Female circumcision and reproductive health: practices, perceptions, and implications for access to health care amongst Somali women in Johannesburg

“A Somali girl is Muslim and does not have premarital sex. Is vaccination really necessary?” A qualitative study into the perceptions of Somali women in the Netherlands about the prevention of cervical cancer

INTRODUCTION Participation in Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and Papanicolaou Screening (Pap smears) is low among ethnic minorities in the Netherlands and hardly any information is available about the cervical cancer prevention methods of Somali women living in the diaspora. This qualitative study, based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) and an intersectionality-based framework, explores...