BACKGROUND: The number of people living in a different place from their place of birth is increasing year by year. Although women have always been involved in migratory movements, today they are increasingly doing so independently. Women are migrating from the Global South to higher-income countries. One of the challenges they face is access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services.
OBJECTIVE: To identify the policy-level barriers that limit the access of migrant women to SRH services, their consequences, and strategies implemented to overcome these barriers.
METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken in accordance with the PRISMA statement. A search was undertaken for articles published between 2018 and 2023 focusing on migrant women\'s experiences of SRH services. In total, 462 articles were retrieved from PubMed (n = 135), Scopus (n = 94) and Web of Science (n = 233); of these, 28 articles were included in this review.
RESULTS: The most common barrier to SRH services identified in the reviewed articles was lack of information (57 %), followed by language issues (43 %), cultural differences (39 %), economic status (25 %), administrative barriers (25 %) and discrimination (14 %). These barriers led to under-utilisation of maternity services and contraceptive methods. Strategies used by migrant women to overcome these barriers were primarily based on seeking help within their own community or family settings.
CONCLUSIONS: Strategies at institutional level to improve the access of migrant women to SRH services need to reduce existing barriers, promote health literacy, and train health workers to be culturally sensitive and responsive to the needs of migrant women.

UNASSIGNED: Although menstruation is a monthly biological phenomenon, it is shrouded in stigma and shame which directly impacts health, education, gender equality, decent work, and economic growth. However, there is scarce evidence on how personal agency, an individual\'s ability to access resources, may act as a protective factor to adequate menstrual health and hygiene practices. Therefore, we assess the association between attitudes toward menstruation and personal agency among very young adolescent girls.
UNASSIGNED: We use cross-sectional data from the Global Early Adolescent Study in São Paulo, Brazil, among 10- to 14-year-old girls who have experienced menarche (n = 325) and completed a home-based self-administered questionnaire in 2021. \"Attitudes toward menstruation\" was created based on five indicators on a Likert scale, with a higher score indicating more positive attitudes. The main covariate was personal agency, comprised of three scales and modeled as three continuous variables: voice, decision-making power, and freedom of movement. Data were analyzed using multivariable linear regression.
UNASSIGNED: Attitudes toward menstruation mean score was 12.5 (range 5-19). Older adolescents (12-14 years-old) had higher mean scores (more positive) than younger adolescents (10-11 years-old) on attitudes toward menstruation, whereas no other sociodemographic or menstrual health indicator (knowledge or access to products) were associated with attitudes toward menstruation. In the multiple regression model, older age and higher freedom of movement remained positively associated with attitudes toward menstruation (βadjust = 0.5; 95%CI 0.1 to 0.8).
UNASSIGNED: Positive attitudes toward menstruation are associated with higher freedom of movement among very young Brazilian adolescent girls. The promotion of personal agency should be recognized as key strategies to accelerate young girls\' positive approaches to their own menstruation and, consequently, well-being.
Menstrual Health and Hygiene Attitudes are associated with Personal AgencyOur results show that positive attitudes toward menstruation among very young adolescent girls are associated with personal agency, measured through freedom of movement. This information can inform strategies to accelerate young girls’ positive approaches to their own menstruation and, consequently, well-being.

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The importance of universal access to health services including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services by migrant populations and the fundamental role of healthcare workers in providing SRHR services, requires a balanced understanding of the experiences of both migrants and healthcare workers. This study explored the experiences of migrant women in accessing and utilising SRHR services and the experiences of healthcare workers in providing SRHR and HIV services in Ekurhuleni, South Africa. In-depth interviews were conducted with five internal migrants, eight international migrant women aged 18-49 years, and four healthcare workers. Migrant women were selected using snowball sampling while healthcare workers were purposively sampled. Migrant women face multifaceted challenges including but not limited to language barriers, discrimination based on migration status, cultural and religious hurdles when accessing and utilising SRHR and HIV services. Similarly, healthcare workers encounter challenges in providing SRHR and HIV services to migrant women which include language barriers and having migrants who seek services without referral documentation and legal migration documents. Training healthcare workers on cultural sensitivity and integration of migrant friendly services in the health policy may improve migrant women\'s experiences in accessing and utilising as well as healthcare workers\' experiences in providing SRHR services.
L’importance de l’accès universel aux services de santé, y compris les services de santé et de droits sexuels et reproductifs (SDSR) pour les populations migrantes et le rôle fondamental des agents de santé dans la fourniture de services SDSR, nécessitent une compréhension équilibrée des expériences des migrants et des agents de santé. Cette étude a exploré les expériences des femmes migrantes en matière d\'accès et d\'utilisation des services SDSR et les expériences des agents de santé dans la fourniture de services SDSR et VIH à Ekurhuleni, Afrique du Sud. Des entretiens approfondis ont été menés avec cinq migrants internes, huit femmes migrantes internationales âgées de 18 à 49 ans et quatre agents de santé. Les femmes migrantes ont été sélectionnées à l’aide d’un échantillonnage boule de neige tandis que les travailleurs de la santé ont été échantillonnés à dessein. Les femmes migrantes sont confrontées à des défis multiformes, notamment les barrières linguistiques, la discrimination basée sur le statut migratoire, les obstacles culturels et religieux lors de l\'accès et de l\'utilisation des services SDSR et VIH. De même, les agents de santé rencontrent des difficultés pour fournir des services SDSR et VIH aux femmes migrantes, notamment des barrières linguistiques et le fait que les migrantes recherchent des services sans documents de référence ni documents de migration légaux. La formation des agents de santé à la sensibilité culturelle et à l’intégration de services adaptés aux migrants dans la politique de santé peut améliorer les expériences des femmes migrantes en matière d’accès et d’utilisation, ainsi que les expériences des agents de santé dans la fourniture de services SDSR.

The News-Finds-Me (NFM) perception reflects individuals\' belief of being well-informed even without actively seeking out news on social media. Despite studies examining the NFM perception in political and COVID-19 contexts, its implications in specific health contexts and the underlying mechanisms toward behavioral outcomes remain largely unexplored. Through a nationwide online survey of Chinese women residing in both rural and urban areas, this study revealed a positive association between the NFM perception and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) misperceptions, as well as an overassessment of factual knowledge. Furthermore, this study identified the mediating roles of knowledge miscalibration and SRH misperceptions linking the NFM perception to SRH behavioral intention. Notably, the relationship between the NFM perception and knowledge miscalibration was contingent upon individual differences in optimism regarding personal risks related to SRH diseases. The findings of this study not only extend the negative implications of the NFM perception in the SRH context and behavioral outcomes but also provide practical guidelines for promoting effective health learning in the contemporary algorithm-driven information environment.

UNASSIGNED: Gender-transformative approaches (GTAs) have been successfully carried out to address harmful gender norms and power imbalances to promote more gender equitability. However, to improve the health and wellbeing of young people, it is necessary to involve household heads by positively transforming their beliefs on gender equity and norms.
UNASSIGNED: This study was cross-sectional quantitative research undertaken in six local government areas in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The study population consisted of household heads in households with young people aged 15-24 years. Data were collected for 15 days using paper and electronic copies of the questionnaire. Descriptive, bivariate, and logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata.
UNASSIGNED: The results showed that 46.32% of male and 62.81% of female heads of households disagreed with the statement \"a good woman never questions her husband\'s opinions, even if she is not sure she agrees with them.\" Female heads of households aged 50 years and below with an odds ratio of 0.47 (p-value = 0.02) suggest they were 0.47 times more likely to have a positive attitude toward the rights and privileges of young girls. Male heads of households aged 50 years and below with an odds ratio of 1.05 (p-value = 0.84) suggest that they were 1.05 times more likely to have a positive attitude toward the rights and privileges of young girls.
UNASSIGNED: This paper provides new knowledge on the gender norm attitude of male and female heads of households on the rights, privileges, and equity promotion of young boys and young girls, as well as its associated factors.

BACKGROUND: Syphilis remains a significant global public health concern, and one of its consequences in pregnant women is the potential occurrence of congenital syphilis due to Treponema pallidum infection. This study determined the prevalence of syphilis among pregnant women undergoing prenatal care in a neighborhood on the outskirts of the city of Belém, Brazilian Amazon.
METHODS: This cross-sectional study used data from clinical records of 611 pregnant women who underwent prenatal care at a public health unit in 2019 and 2020. The reagent result for VDRL was used as an indicator of syphilis. Odds Ratio and chi-square tests were used to evaluate the association of information from pregnant women with syphilis.
RESULTS: The overall prevalence of syphilis was 5.2 % (32/611; 95 % CI: 3.5-7.0 %). Age under 23 years was identified as a risk factor for syphilis.
CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of syphilis among pregnant women in the outskirts of Belém is high, especially among younger women. There is an urgent need to intensify innovative sexual and reproductive health education initiatives and emphasize the importance of consistent practice of preventive measures against syphilis and other STIs in the Amazon region, especially in the young population.

BACKGROUND: Information and knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) plays a crucial role in promoting safe sexual practices among young migrants. We aimed to assess the sociodemographic factors of migrants associated with knowledge of condoms and the prevention, treatment, and transmission of HIV to highlight the need for SRHR information, including comprehensive sexual health education.
METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted (2018-2019) among migrants at Swedish language schools and high schools across Sweden. The survey included questions about knowledge of condom use for preventing pregnancy and HIV treatment and transmission. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the responses to the knowledge questions and sociodemographic characteristics.
RESULTS: Out of 3430 respondents (median age: 35, interquartile range: 20), approximately 39% were unaware that condoms can prevent unplanned pregnancies. Only 58% of the respondents knew that condoms reduce the risk of contracting HIV. About 77% were unaware of HIV treatment, and 52% reported not knowing that a woman with HIV could transmit the virus to her baby during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Incorrect knowledge about condom use to prevent unwanted pregnancy was associated with several factors: younger age (15-19 years) adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.35; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.02-1.79); female respondents (aOR: 1.68; 95% CI 1.36-2.07); lack of previous sexual health education (aOR: 2.57; 95% CI 2.11-3.13); low level of education (aOR: 1.30; 95% CI 1.04-1.61). Originating from the Americas, European, or sub-Saharan African regions was associated with a 34-42% decreased likelihood of incorrect knowledge that condoms can reduce the risk of HIV infection compared to respondents from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). More than half (64%) of respondents reported needing more SRHR information.
CONCLUSIONS: We found significant knowledge gaps on HIV and condom use for preventing pregnancy among migrants in Sweden. Comprehensive sexual health education in language schools, along with information to newly arrived migrants from diverse regional backgrounds and targeted sexual health services to younger individuals, women, and those who lack sexual health education, are needed to address these information gaps and provide crucial SRHR education and information.

Teen mothers are more susceptible to the negative consequences of pregnancy, due to system-wide and socio-cultural barriers to accessing needed services, posing higher pregnancy complications and health risks to the babies and mothers. Understanding their lived experience can inform context-specific health programs and interventions that address their needs and improve the health outcomes. Twenty-three women who had delivered her first child before the age of 18 years were interviewed using semi-structured interview guide. The transcripts were coded, categorized and summarized into four major themes: 1) Many pregnant teen girls were disadvantaged by the system from accessing the healthcare services, 2) Although being judged, many found the health care services positive and important, 3) Faced financial difficulty in accessing health services, despite most medical services are covered by community based health insurance, 4) Health care services focuses mostly on the medical health of pregnancy, the social and psychological needs were mostly not available. The study highlighted the gap in providing mental health services, financial support to the teen mothers as part of a comprehensive health services. Some of them consulted health services for the first time with and did not return for follow up if perceived the services was bad. More sensitive and targeted materials and ANC services can be offered to this unique group of clients. More acceptance training to the health care providers and the public is needed. For health facilities, there is a need to also check their psychological wellbeing when seeking ANC services. Online or mobile phone-based mental health interventions may provide some solutions to the issue. Government should re-evaluate the health insurance system to avoid unintentional exclusion of this group of population. Policy to facilitate men to take responsibilities on teen pregnancy issue is needed.

UNASSIGNED: Despite substantial investment in improving healthcare among adolescents in low- and middle-income countries, barriers to access and utilization of services persist, especially to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. In response to adolescents\' health service needs due to their vulnerability, interventions aimed at improving access and utilization of sexual and reproductive health services have been implemented in specific regions of Zambia. To highlight progress in the access and the overall delivery of services in Zambia, in the wake of a system-level funding mechanism, this paper aims to understand the accessibility, availability, acceptability and quality (AAAQ) of health services provided to young people.
UNASSIGNED: In a qualitative case study, 48 discussions- 32 individual interviews with stakeholders and 16 focus group discussions, consisting of 128 male and female adolescents were conducted in six districts from Eastern, Southern and Muchinga provinces of Zambia. Interviews were audio-recorded, recordings transcribed verbatim, and transcripts were analysed using deductive thematic analysis, using the AAAQ framework and Atun\'s framework on integration, as a guide to reporting the findings.
UNASSIGNED: We found that adolescents knew of and had access to common commodities and services- male condoms, health education and HIV counselling and testing. However, availability was affected by access-related barriers such as frequent stock-outs and insufficiently trained healthcare providers. In addition, accessibility was more restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and compounded by the low acceptability of SRH service among adolescents across all contexts. This led to the use of alternatives such as herbal medicine and maintained common myths and misconceptions. The overall quality was marred by the lack of dedicated spaces for adolescent health services and the lack of information, education and communication (IEC) materials in some spaces.
UNASSIGNED: While it was noted that some services were available for adolescents in all the study sites, numerous barriers inhibited access to these services and had an impact on the quality-of-service provision. With the added restriction to SRH service asses for young people, due to the low acceptability of adolescent SRH service use, the overall integration of adolescent SRH interventions into routine service provision was low and can be improved by targeting contextual barriers and maintaining best practices.