Abstract
Refugee youth face sexual health challenges, and research investigating contributing factors has primarily focused on identifying contextual barriers. However, it is also important to investigate protective factors, as well as how risk and protective factors work together across contexts. The present study explored both contextual facilitators and barriers to refugee young women’s sexual health and how these factors intersect to influence behavior. Interviews were conducted with twelve female refugees ages 18-24. Participants’ countries of origin included Burma, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia; most participants had lived in the United States for over five years. Data were analyzed using thematic text analysis and narrative analysis. Findings revealed four primary themes: sex/relationship restrictions, judgment/disapproval, support, and youth outcomes. Themes varied by context (e.g., family, peers, religion, culture) and were related to one another in important ways, such that refugee young women who violate sociocultural sex/relationship expectations experience actual or anticipated judgment from others, which leads to fear, embarrassment, and risky sexual behavior. However, participants also shared that social and institutional support would contribute to improved sexual health outcomes. Findings highlight the importance of considering refugee young women’s sociocultural contexts when addressing sexual health challenges.
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Data Availability
The interview guide used for this manuscript is available upon request. The raw data contained in this manuscript are not openly available due to privacy restrictions set forth by the institutional ethics board.
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Acknowledgments
We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the many people who contributed to this research study. First, thank you to Gina Sgro and others at ICF for their work developing the interview guide, as well as the important role they played in evaluation of the larger research project of which this manuscript is just a part. We would also like to thank the refugee interpreters at International Rescue Committee who provided honest and thoughtful feedback on the interview guide and study procedure to ensure our work was culturally appropriate. Their suggestions were invaluable. We are also grateful to Sharon Shih for her help with coding the transcripts and modifying the codebook. This study would not have been possible without the hard work of Stephanie Clemente, who conducted the individual interviews with refugee participants. Much of the credit for the quality of the data goes to her skillful interviewing and empathic connection with participants. Finally, we would like to thank the participants who openly shared their experiences and perspectives. It is an honor to convey your stories in this manuscript.
Funding
This study was funded by a grant from Advocates for Youth titled “Increasing Awareness about, Access to and Use of LARCs among Vulnerable Teens and Young Adults.”
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Kumar, J.L., Chan, W.Y. & Spitz, A. Pathways to Sexual Health Among Refugee Young Women: A Contextual Approach. Sexuality & Culture 25, 1789–1807 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09850-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-021-09850-9