Access to Health Care for Pregnant Arabic-Speaking Refugee Women and Mothers in Germany

Abstract

Refugee women often encounter multiple barriers when accessing ante-, peri-, and postnatal care. The aim of this study was to investigate how premigration experiences, conceptions about pregnancy and childbirth, health literacy, and language skills influence access to health care, experiences of health care, and childbirth. A total of 12 semi-structured interviews with refugee women from Iraq, Syria, and Palestine were conducted in the city of Dresden. Content analysis was applied using Levesque’s access model as a framework. Results indicate that conceptions of pregnancy and childbirth and premigration experiences influence women’s behaviors and experiences of pregnancy and childbirth. They contribute to barriers in accessing health care and lead to negative health outcomes. In view of limited health literacy, poor language skills, lack of information, and missing translators, female relatives in countries of origin remain an important source of information. Improved access to services for refugee women is needed.