Attitudes to Fertility, Sexual Health and Motherhood amongst a Sample of Non-Irish National Minority Ethnic Women Living in Ireland

I am proud to introduce this report on the views and experiences of women from some of Ireland’s migrant communities on fertility, sexual health and motherhood. This is the 36th report to be commissioned by the Crisis Pregnancy Programme. Like many of its predecessors, it is a ground-breaking study in the Irish context, as little data exists in this area. The researchers overcame many methodological challenges in order to secure the participation of a diverse range of women aged 18-30 from Ireland’s Chinese, Muslim, Nigerian and Polish communities. The result is a report in which the voices of these women can be clearly heard, giving many insights into the complexities of negotiating sexuality, motherhood and healthcare as a member of a migrant community in Ireland. The research reveals that migrant women share many perspectives with Irish women in how they feel about fertility, sex and motherhood; however, differences do exist. For example, some migrant women still prefer to use healthcare services within their own communities or even their own countries of origin, either because they believe Irish healthcare will not fully meet their needs or because they do not know about the service