Reproductive health
Challenges and strategies in the multicultural sexual and reproductive healthcare encounter - a qualitative study on the perspectives of health professionals
By Appelbäck M, Wredle AS, Wickramasinghe A and 2 others.
Abstract
Background
Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in Sweden is shaped by strong equity and gender-equality ideals, yet migrant patients continue to experience disparities in SRH outcomes. Social, cultural, and structural factors can complicate clinical encounters, potentially posing obstacles to equitable access. This study explored how SRH professionals experience and manage challenges in multicultural clinical encounters.
Methods
Thirty‑one SRH professionals (midwives, nurses, physicians, social workers, sexologists, and nursing assistants) from youth and women's health clinics in Skåne were interviewed using semi‑structured interviews. The material was analysed with inductive thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns of challenges and strategies in encounters with patients of foreign background.