Reproductive Health Care For Displaced Persons And Refugees

Why is reproductive health care important for displaced people and refugees?

Refugees and internally displaced people constitute a large but relatively forgotten population. Globally their number is estimated to be over 60 million and growing. Each new natural or man-made disaster forces more people from their homes. Displaced people, no matter what the cause of their displacement, confront health and social challenges that others never experience.

The woman in the photo, from Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, reads an ESD Pocket Guide about the merits of healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies (HTSP). Helping displaced people prevent unwanted pregnancy and avoid sexually transmitted infections is essential to humanitarian relief, social reconstruction, and responsible policy making.

They lose partners, children, parents, and the security that comes with stable community life. Women and girls are exposed to the risk of sexual violence and exploitation, and in the chaos that follows all disasters, lose whatever access to health and social services they may have had. For those who are displaced, the desire to postpone childbearing is high and motivated by many factors, including the desire to not bring children into a world of violence and insecurity and the fear of becoming pregnant when safe deliveries cannot be assured. Unwanted pregnancies in situations of displacement can prompt spontaneous or induced abortions, which can result in health problems. The overcrowding and disorganization that come with forced displacement bring opportunities and pressures to enter into casual relationships, leading to added risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.

Why is reproductive health care important for displaced people and refugees?

Refugees and internally displaced people constitute a large but relatively forgotten population. Globally their number is estimated to be over 60 million and growing. Each new natural or man-made disaster forces more people from their homes. Displaced people, no matter what the cause of their displacement, confront health and social challenges that others never experience. They lose partners, children, parents, and the security that comes with stable community life. Women and girls are exposed to the risk of sexual violence and exploitation, and in the chaos that follows all disasters, lose whatever access to health and social services they may have had. For those who are displaced, the desire to postpone childbearing is high and motivated by many factors, including the desire to not bring children into a world of violence and insecurity and the fear of becoming pregnant when safe deliveries cannot be assured. Unwanted pregnancies in situations of displacement can prompt spontaneous or induced abortions, which can result in health problems. The overcrowding and disorganization that come with forced displacement bring opportunities and pressures to enter into casual relationships, leading to added risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS. Helping displaced people prevent unwanted pregnancy and avoid sexually transmitted infections is essential to humanitarian relief, social reconstruction, and responsible policy making.

>> How does ESD help meet the RH/FP needs of displaced people?