Con un pie en dos islas: cultural bridges that inform sexual and reproductive health in the Dominican Republic and New York

Abstract

Immigrants from the Dominican Republic have grown in number and currently make up a substantial portion of New York City's population. In order to better understand the cultural context of Dominican women's sexual and reproductive health attitudes and practices, focus groups were conducted with Dominican women living in New York City as well as with women living in the Dominican Republic. Analysis found that women in the USA had more economic independence and a greater sense of freedom in regards to sexuality than women in the Dominican Republic. However, those in New York City also hoped to maintain their cultural identity in many ways. Women associated the prevalence of gender-based violence with male unemployment and alcohol abuse. Women in both locales reported limited condom use and saw contraception as a woman's responsibility. Many barriers to using the healthcare system were identified and, in many cases, there exists a preference for herbal treatments and folk remedies. This study provided many important insights that have the potential to increase the quality of sexual and reproductive health care for Dominican women.

Relationships Between Stigma and Intimate Partner Violence Among Female Sex Workers Living With HIV: Social and Economic Exclusion

“…Anthropological and public health research illustrate anti-violence against women discourse in public space and media coverage, popular awareness of the issue, and seemingly low social acceptability: the percentage of Dominican people agreeing to at least one instance where “wife-beating” is justified is low (6%), particularly when compared to other low- and middle-income countries ( Cabezas, 2009 ; Caridad Bueno, 2013 ; United Nations General Assembly, 2000 ). However, the landscape of norms and attitudes toward IPV is multifaceted and contradictory—qualitative studies suggest that victim blaming and normalization of IPV are pervasive ( Breitbart et al, 2010 ; Viswanathan et al, 2016 ). Selling sexual services is not illegal in the DR, but it is illegal to profit from earnings of sex workers and facilitate prostitution ( Cabezas, 1999 ).…”