Pregnancy and sexual related problems among women living on the street in dire Dawa City, Eastern Ethiopia, 2021: qualitative study

Abstract

Background The problem of women and youths living on the street is a global phenomenon. It has created countless problems while they lived on the street; such as unwanted pregnancies, sexual exploitation and prostitution. It is a frequent observation to see women begging on the streets of major cities in Ethiopia having one or two babies by their sides. This study will give an in-depth understanding of the distressing and highly challenging problem among women on the street regarding pregnancy and related problems. Objective To explore pregnancy and sexual-related problems among women living on the street in Dire Dawa city, Eastern Ethiopia 2021. Methods A community-based phenomenological qualitative study was conducted at Dire Dawa city. Data was collected from homeless women and Key informants through focus group discussion and in-depth interviews using a semi-structured tool aided by a voice recorder. Data were analyzed thematically using computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software Atlas.ti7. The thematic analysis with inductive approach goes through 6 steps; Familiarization, Coding, Generating themes, Reviewing themes, Defining and naming themes and Writing up. Result Women living on the street are more likely to experience physical abuse, sexual harassment, Sexual transmitted infection, unprotected sex and unwanted pregnancy. As a result, the fate of this pregnancy is abortion leads to high risk of getting health complications as most abortions are made in illegal and unsafe ways. Conclusion Teen pregnancy, STI, rape and unsafe abortion are the major concerns as it accompanied by their homelessness situation and abusive lifestyles. The regional health bureau needs to understand the extent of problem and plan to organize an awareness creation program on STI, risk of pregnancy and SRH services.

Sexual assault and vulnerability to sexually transmitted infections among homeless Brazilian women: a cross sectional qualitative study

“…Homeless women have limitations in their access and use of health services, including sexual and reproductive health care with regard to contraception, prenatal care, appropriate STIs treatment, and access to safe abortion [ 6 , 8 ]. The nonuse of these services may be related to a lack of knowledge [ 8 , 11 ], to not knowing where to go to receive assistance [ 11 ], or to a lack of health insurance [ 11 ], fear, stigma, the possibility of suffering discrimination by health professionals [ 8 ] or the fear of becoming involved in the legal system [ 11 ].…”

“…The sexual aggression rates are higher among women than men and even more expressive among the transgender homeless population [ 11 ]. Pregnancy rates due to rape are substantially higher among homeless women than the general population, with a tendency to increase amid housing instability [ 8 ]. The homeless population is also vulnerable to (STIs) due to unprotected sexual practices [ 8 ] and has a high prevalence compared to the general population, reaching 52.5% [ 1 ].…”

Tecnologias leves no cuidado do enfermeiro a mulheres no Consultório na Rua

“…A população em situação de rua é definida como "grupo populacional heterogêneo que possui em comum a pobreza extrema, os vínculos familiares interrompidos ou fragilizados e a inexistência de moradia convencional regular, e que utiliza os logradouros públicos e as áreas degradadas como espaço de moradia e de sustento, de forma temporária ou permanente, bem como as unidades de acolhimento para pernoite ou como moradia provisória" (1) . Embora a população em situação de rua seja composta predominantemente por homens (1)(2) , as mulheres apresentam condições de maior vulnerabilidade nas ruas, em um contexto complexo e estigmatizante, permeado por preconceitos, invisibilidade, violação da intimidade, violência física e sexual, exploração sexual, desigualdade de gênero e de direitos de saúde e sociais (3)(4)(5)(6) .…”

“…Nas ruas, as mulheres apresentam piores condições de saúde física e mental, maior risco de morte prematura, de desenvolvimento de doenças crônicas, aquisição de infecções sexualmente transmissíveis, afecções ginecológicas e maior risco de gestações não intencionais, contribuindo para a perpetuação do ciclo da pobreza e da miséria, além de práticas de aborto inseguro (3,4,6,7) . Reconhecer a história, o contexto de vida, as subjetividades e as necessidades de saúde dessas mulheres tem o potencial de subsidiar estratégias de trabalho e promover o cuidado integral, fundamentado nos princípios do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e na garantia dos direitos sociais (5) .…”