Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Apr;157(1):51-58.
doi: 10.1002/ijgo.13795. Epub 2021 Jul 22.

A neglected population: Sexual and reproductive issues among adolescent and young Venezuelan migrant women at the northwestern border of Brazil

Rachel E Soeiro  1 , Leila Rocha  1 , Fernanda G Surita  1 , Luis Bahamondes  1 , Maria L Costa  1
Affiliations

A neglected population: Sexual and reproductive issues among adolescent and young Venezuelan migrant women at the northwestern border of Brazil

Rachel E Soeiro et al. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: Adolescent and young women (10-24 years old) are a neglected group in humanitarian settings and their sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs are habitually ignored. Our study aims to assess main SRH issues affecting migrant Venezuelan adolescents and young women in Boa Vista, Roraima at the northwestern border of Venezuela-Brazil.

Methods: A cross-sectional study with a self-responded questionnaire with information about SRH was conducted in 153 Venezuelan adolescent and young migrant women at Boa Vista, from January 18 to 23, 2021. A descriptive analysis was performed.

Results: Mean age was 17.7 years and two-thirds were under 20 years old. The majority (84%) were living on the streets. Most of them (54%) reported that they had at least one previous childbirth, 10% were pregnant at the time of the interview, 30% of them were not attending prenatal care. The main SRH concern was contraception (35%); however, 75% of those interviewed who went to a healthcare service were unable to obtain the method of their choice and for 91% no other contraceptive was offered.

Conclusion: Migrant Venezuelan adolescents and young women in Boa Vista have their SRH needs overlooked. Efforts to address these SRH needs, especially during the pandemic, require urgent attention.

Keywords: Brazil; Venezuela; adolescents; migrant; sexual and reproductive health.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. UNHCR. MID-YEAR TRENDS 2020 Trends at a Glance. [UNHCR website]. 2020. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=w.... Accessed March 11, 2021.
    1. United Nations Fund (UNFPA). The State of World Population 2017: Worlds Apart. 2017. https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/sowp/downloads/UNFPA_PUB_2017_.... Accessed March 11, 2021.
    1. Jennings L, George AS, Jacobs T, Blanchet K, Singh NS. A forgotten group during humanitarian crises: a systematic review of sexual and reproductive health interventions for young people including adolescents in humanitarian settings. Confl Health. 2019;13(1):15-17.
    1. Ivanova O, Rai M, Kemigisha E. A systematic review of sexual and reproductive health knowledge, experiences and access to services among refugee, migrant and displaced girls and young women in Africa. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018;15(8):1-12.
    1. Warren E, Post N, Hossain M, et al. Systematic review of the evidence on the effectiveness of sexual and reproductive health interventions in humanitarian crises. BMJ Open. 2015;5:e008226. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008226