MSc in Sexual and Reproductive Health

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/7218

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A comparative analysis of the contextual factors that were associated with Bangladesh and Zimbabwe achieving relatively high rates of contraceptive prevalence.
(2018)
Background: Family planning is termed one of the best investments a country can make to improve women’s lives by decreasing unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions. Hence, many countries have invested in the promotion of family planning by strengthening their family planning programmes. However, despite this, there are currently 214 million women in low and middle-income countries who would like to prevent pregnancy but are not using any modern method of contraception. However, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe are two countries that have shown trends of an increased contraceptive uptake over the years despite their slowed economic growth. Aim: To summarize the contextual factors that are associated with an increased contraceptive uptake in Bangladesh and Zimbabwe. Study Design: A review of literature (Desk Review). Databases: CINAHL, SCOPUS and Medline. Review Methods: The selected studies were published from 1994 to 2018 and were focused on family planning/contraceptive use in Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. The measure evaluation reproductive Health programme conceptual framework was used to organize the study findings and discussion. Results/Findings: 287 articles were retrieved and 19 made the final studies selection. Of the 19 studies,16 were quantitative studies and 3 qualitative studies. It was found that women’s education, older age, place of residence (urban), desire to delay pregnancy/stop childbearing, marital status, male influence – such as discussing FP with husband, being employed, access to FP services, FP workers and FP promotion were the most significant factors influencing contraceptive uptake in both countries. Conclusion& recommendations: To increase contraceptive uptake well thought out information, education and communication (IEC) programmes must be instituted that targets both males and females in rural and urban regions. Further, family planning services must be easily accessible, acceptable, free or extremely low cost and culturally sensitive. Keywords: Contraceptive prevalence, Contextual factors, Unmet need, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe.
EXPLORING THE RISK FACTORS OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AGAINST FEMALE SYRIANS IN HUMANITARIAN SETTINGS IN GREECE - A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
(2018)
Gender based violence towards female Syrians is a common issue in humanitarian settings in all of the host countries including Greece. This thesis is a review of the literature about the risk factors of violence against female Syrians of all ages in the camps in Greece. It incorporates explanations of the concept of gender based violence and describes the magnitude and severity of the issue. The methodology section includes the strategies in order to develop the topic and the research questions as well as the inclusion and exclusion criteria. For the analysis of the risk factors has been developed an adapted ecological framework of violence that applies to female Syrians who live in humanitarian settings. This analytical framework conceptualizes the Gender Based Violence in the Individual, Microsystem, Exosystem and Macrosystem level. It was found that not only the existing various risk factors from each of the four levels interplay with each other, but new ones emerged due to war and displacement in the Individual and the Exosystem levels. Gender based violence is a sensitive research topic and there are limited researches that took place in Greece amongst displaced Syrians. Researching the risk factors of violence among Syrian women and girls is a challenging and recent topic which requires further and deeper research in the future. People who live in camps deserve decent living conditions, redemption of their reputation in Greek communities and access to tailored health and social services. Key words: GBV, Syrians, Greece, Camps, Risk Factors
Influences of social family dynamics in women’s decision making during pregnancy and child birth in rural Morocco.
(2018)
Maternal mortality (MM) is a global health issue with the birth of 130 million babies born in the world every year. Eight hundred women die every single day while giving birth. There are many reasons that lead to their deaths during child-birth and one of these reasons is not attending health care facilities, which could be due to lack of medical facilities, financial barriers and distance. The decision making process to seek such health care is rarely done by mothers on their own. The aim of this research is to explore the decision making process amongst women living in rural areas of Morocco and find what and who influence the mother’s decisions. Findings: Living with in-laws or living separately did not influence the mother’s autonomy to make decisions. Furthermore male involvement was found to be a strong influencing factor in promoting positive health behaviours. Examples of positive health behaviours are: attending antenatal check-ups; eating correct and healthy foods; attending the hospital to deliver the baby; and encouraging mothers to vaccinate their children. The maternal health care facilities had mixed reviews; mothers reported both positive and negative treatment. Conclusion: The decision making process mothers go through during pregnancy, child-birth and during child-rearing is complex with many influencing factors. It is clear from the findings that there is no single change that can be made that will directly encourage women to attend professional health facilities throughout pregnancy and at the time of child-birth. However promoting male involvement, education for both men and women, monitoring and evaluating healthcare facilities and the workforce are several ways that can lead to improvements in mother’s attendance of healthcare facilities and aid in reducing maternal mortality.
“THE STRESS IS ALL ABOUT SEX” Conceptualisations of intimate relationships amongst school attending youth in Sierra Leone
(2018)
Background Sierra Leone (SL) has persistently high levels of adolescent pregnancy and reducing this is a priority. Data that captures the experience of young people (YP) and the decisions that they make about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is required to help inform education and public health interventions. Objectives This study aims to establish how YP at school in SL understand their rights and responsibilities around sex and relationships, and to find out what the facilitators and barriers to making positive decisions in this area are, with a view to informing locally developed SRH programs. Methods An adapted version of the Participatory Ethnographic Evaluation and Research (PEER) approach was used to involve the YP throughout the research process. Six male and six female students were trained in research methods and met in gender group sessions (GGS) to develop the tools for data collection. Each then interviewed 3 friends and fed these interviews back to the visiting researcher in debriefing sessions. Initial findings were discussed with the participants in GGS for clarification and interpretation. Key informant interviews and notes from the GGS also contributed to the data set. Results Evidence demonstrated the pervasive nature of gender inequalities between the groups. Expectations of the communities and pressure to achieve at school weighed heavily on the young women, and yet the power in relationships remained decisively with the young men. While romantic notions of “good” relationships and the acknowledgement of the benefits of equality were commonplace, sex was referred to negatively by both genders. It was described as a tool of control, with transactional sex and “sexual harassment” portrayed as normal. Relationships were kept secret from all but trusted friends, and the stresses that were associated with navigating them were vividly described as physical and mental illness. Anxiety surrounded pregnancy and there was strong pressure to abort in secret despite the danger this entails. There was no mention of contraception. Conclusion The study demonstrates the need to consider the broad social context when considering SRH interventions. Messages about risks create anxiety amongst females in school, but structural factors significantly limit their ability to influence outcomes. This study suggests the need to work with boys, men and the wider community to share the burden of responsibility, improve knowledge and develop strategies for change.