Paper short abstract:

Ethnographic explorations of equity in access to contraceptive technologies among immigrant and refugee Australians

Paper long abstract:

Having more reproductive health issues, immigrant and refugee women are less familiar with the reproductive health services in the host country, are less aware of the available contraceptive technologies, have limited information on them in their own language, have communication problems related to language barrier and do not prioritize their reproductive health needs. According with the United Nations Population Fund, access to contraceptive technologies is considered an essential human right. Australian health services researchers highlighted the need to focus on vertical health equity that is appropriate unequal treatment of unequal population groups. This presentation is based upon an ARC Funded Linkage project on the use of contraceptive technologies and reproductive choice among immigrant and refugee women in Australia. This project being conducted by staff of the School of Social Sciences at Monash University, The Multicultural Centre for Women's Health, The Centre for Culture, Ethnicity and Health, and Sexual Health and Family Planning Australia and explored women's experiences of use of conventional and new contraceptive technologies. A total number of 84 immigrant women from various ethnic backgrounds and 16 service providers were recruited for qualitative interviews. Presenting findings, we will focus on cost of contraceptive technologies, availability of printed information in ethnic languages, waiting list for selected contraceptive technologies and issues related to interpreting in health settings. Findings from this project will be utilized by collaborating organizations to reduce inequities in family planning service provision and access to contraceptive technologies.