Paper short abstract:

We analyze the implementation of health policies for young indigenous people and international migrants in sexual/reproductive health. In practice, these policies serve to domesticate the “otherness” into biomedical hegemony, exacerbating structural vulnerabilities.

Paper long abstract:

In Chile, during the 90´s, the Special Program for Health and Indigenous Peoples was implemented for the recognition of health systems of these communities. In 2018, given the increase in migratory flows that entered the country, the Health Policy for International Migrants in Chile was created. Both initiatives have aimed to generate intercultural health strategies that respond to the health needs of specific populations. In this paper, we analyze the implementation of these policies in the field of sexual and reproductive health of young indigenous and migrant people (18 to 24 years of age). Findings are drawn from a qualitative study carried out during 2021, in which in-depth interviews were carried out with 16 young migrants coming from different countries of Latin America, 16 young Mapuche people, 8 key-informants and 16 primary health professionals. The results show that although these policies were implemented to recognize and attend cultural differences in health, in practice they serve to domesticate the “otherness” into biomedical hegemony. Moreover, stereotypes related to specific ethnicities and bodies are hyperbolized -e.g. Afro-descendants as hyper-sexualized or Andean young women as “made” to be mothers-, exacerbating structural vulnerabilities. This deepens the historical distance between the official health system and vulnerated populations such as indigenous and migrant peoples, reinforcing exclusions instead of building bridges. The paper closes with recommendations for the inclusion of a comprehensive intercultural approach to health.