TY - JOUR
T1 - Talking about sexual and reproductive health through interpreters
T2 - The experiences of health care professionals consulting refugee and migrant women
AU - Mengesha, Zelalem B.
AU - Perz, Janette
AU - Dune, Tinashe
AU - Ussher, Jane
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018
PY - 2018/6
Y1 - 2018/6
N2 - Objective: This study aimed to explore the health care professional (HCP) experiences of working with interpreters when consulting refugee and migrant women who are not proficient in English around sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues, in order to identify service and policy implications. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 HCPs, including: nurses (8), general practitioners (GP) (5), health promotion officers (5), sexual therapists (2) and one midwife. Interviews were audio-recorded, professionally transcribed and thematically analysed using socio-ecological theory. Results: Overall HCPs stated that language and cultural discordance were barriers to SRH communication with refugee and migrant women. The lack of women interpreters and concerns with the interpreters such as lack of health/SRH knowledge were the main considerations HCPs reported related to working with interpreters when consulting refugee and migrant women. Conclusion: Communication barriers in the provision of SRH services to refugee and migrant women may not be avoided despite the use of interpreters. Great attention needs to be paid to the availability of women interpreters and training of interpreters to work in SRH.
AB - Objective: This study aimed to explore the health care professional (HCP) experiences of working with interpreters when consulting refugee and migrant women who are not proficient in English around sexual and reproductive health (SRH) issues, in order to identify service and policy implications. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 HCPs, including: nurses (8), general practitioners (GP) (5), health promotion officers (5), sexual therapists (2) and one midwife. Interviews were audio-recorded, professionally transcribed and thematically analysed using socio-ecological theory. Results: Overall HCPs stated that language and cultural discordance were barriers to SRH communication with refugee and migrant women. The lack of women interpreters and concerns with the interpreters such as lack of health/SRH knowledge were the main considerations HCPs reported related to working with interpreters when consulting refugee and migrant women. Conclusion: Communication barriers in the provision of SRH services to refugee and migrant women may not be avoided despite the use of interpreters. Great attention needs to be paid to the availability of women interpreters and training of interpreters to work in SRH.
KW - Health care professionals
KW - Interpreters
KW - Language barrier
KW - Refugee and migrant women
KW - Sexual and reproductive health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046493677&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.srhc.2018.03.007
DO - 10.1016/j.srhc.2018.03.007
M3 - Article
C2 - 29804767
AN - SCOPUS:85046493677
SN - 1877-5756
VL - 16
SP - 199
EP - 205
JO - Sexual and Reproductive HealthCare
JF - Sexual and Reproductive HealthCare
ER -