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. 2020 Apr;149(1):113-119.
doi: 10.1002/ijgo.13111. Epub 2020 Feb 18.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights of refugee and migrant women: gynecologists' and obstetricians' responsibilities

Margit Endler  1   2 , Taghreed Al Haidari  3 , Sameena Chowdhury  4 , Jan Christilaw  5 , Faysal El Kak  6 , Diana Galimberti  7 , Miguel Gutierrez  8 , Atziri Ramirez-Negrin  9 , Hemantha Senanayake  10 , Rubina Sohail  11 , Marleen Temmerman  12   13 , Kristina Gemzell Danielsson  1 ; FIGO Committee for Human Rights, Refugees and Violence Against Women
Affiliations

Sexual and reproductive health and rights of refugee and migrant women: gynecologists' and obstetricians' responsibilities

Margit Endler et al. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services is Target 3.7 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Refugee and migrant women and children are at particular risk of being forgotten in the global momentum to achieve this target. In this article we discuss the violations of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of particular relevance to the refugee and migrant reality. We give context-specific examples of denial of health services to vulnerable groups; lack of dignity as a barrier to care; the vulnerability of adolescents; child marriage; weaponized rape; gender-based violence; and sexual trafficking. We discuss rights frameworks and models that are being used in response to these situations, as well as what remains to be done. Specifically, we call for obstetricians and gynecologists to act as individual providers and through their FIGO member societies to protect women's health and rights in these exposed settings.

Keywords: Humanitarian crisis; Migrant women; Refugees; Sexual and reproductive health and rights.

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References

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