Barriers to Accessing Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare in People who Migrate to the United States

Individuals may choose or become displaced from their home country for many reasons, including employment and educational opportunities, violence and environmental factors, and a desire to reunite with family. In 2022, more than 100 million people were forcibly displaced worldwide, emphasizing the ramifications of persecution, conflict, violence, and human rights violations. While migration to the United States may offer safety and opportunities for people, recent literature suggests that displaced individuals may encounter exacerbated barriers to healthcare access, particularly with sexual and reproductive healthcare services. However, there is a dearth in knowledge of what these specific barriers may be, and their impact on overall health and well-being. To address this gap in the literature, the research team screened 1,152 articles by title and abstract from PubMed and SCOPUS, yielding sixteen papers relevant for review. Data was extracted based on various barrier types, including individual, interpersonal, and system level barriers to care. The results of this review pointed to various unique challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive care, including fears of health diagnosis and deportation, low knowledge of health topics, language barriers, discrimination and stigma, cultural differences, and long wait times at clinics. The findings of this review have several implications for designing future interventions to mitigate the impact of barriers on accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare for the migrant population, including implementation of translators and cultural competency trainings