An Evaluation of Obstetric Characteristics and Contraceptive Use Among Refugee Women

Background This study aimed to assess the obstetric characteristics of refugee women and evaluate their knowledge and usage of contraception methods. Methodology This retrospective, cross-sectional study included 400 married refugee women aged 18-49 years who presented to the Foreigners Outpatient Clinic between 2018 and 2020. In the Foreigners Outpatient Clinic, a health worker filled in a 23-question form for all refugee women to obtain their obstetric history and information regarding contraception methods. The 23-item form comprised 11 questions about the sociodemographic characteristics of refugee women, seven questions about their obstetric history, and five questions about their knowledge and attitudes about contraception methods. Statistical analyses were performed using the data obtained from these forms filed in the outpatient clinic. Descriptive data were presented as frequency, percentage distribution, mean, and standard deviation. Results The average age of the participants was 31.36 ± 8.36 years, with 52.8% of the participants being Afghan women. Overall, 70% of participants were either only literate, learned to read and write without ever going to school, or were primary school graduates. Moreover, 61.1% of refugee women aged ≤18 years at the time of first birth were Somali, Sudanese, and Saudi Arabian nationals, significantly outnumbering other refugee women (p = 0.03). The rate of having ≥three children among Pakistani participants was 90.0%, which was statistically significantly higher (p = 0.04). The proportion of Afghan women who received counseling on family planning was lower (p = 0.04). There was no statistically significant difference between refugee women's knowledge of using a contraception method (p = 0.09). As a contraception method, the most significant use of injection was by refugee women from Somalia, Sudan, and Saudi Arabia (p = 0.03); tubal ligation was used by Afghan women (p = 0.01); and implanted by Pakistani women (p = 0.01). No difference was found in the use of condoms, pills, and intrauterine devices. Conclusions On evaluating the obstetric characteristics of refugee women, it was determined that the number of pregnancies and the rate of giving first birth at the age of 18 and under were high. On the other hand, there was no difference between refugee women regarding condom and pill use; however, it was observed that the rate of using these methods at some point in their lives was high. Hence, it can be concluded that immigration seriously affects women's reproductive health, makes it difficult to obtain protection methods, and paves the way for having unplanned and large numbers of children.