Reducing Sexual and Reproductive Health Inequities Between Natives and Migrants: A Delphi Consensus for Sustainable Cross-Cultural Healthcare Pathways

Regimes of truth regarding 'sexual justice' in academic literature from 2012 to 2022: a scoping review

The notion of 'sexual justice' has gained traction in academic and policy arenas in recent years. This paper presents a scoping literature review of the regimes of truth, following Foucault, of 'sexual justice' appearing in the scientific literature from 2012 to 2022. Thirty-eight papers were coded using (1) content analysis of the studies' central problematics, the programmes referred to, and institutional location(s); and (2) thematic analysis of how the notion was deployed. Central problematics centred on (1) critiques of, or alternatives to, dominant approaches to sexual and reproductive health; and (2) highlighting injustices. As such, 'sexual justice' is fighting for legitimacy in the truth stakes. There is a distinct paucity of papers tackling the translation of 'sexual justice' into practice. South Africa dominates as the site in which papers on 'sexual justice' have been produced, but there is a lack of South-South collaboration. Two themes were apparent around which conceptions of sexual justice cohere. Firstly, sexual justice is seen as a vital, yet politically ambivalent goal, with neoliberal co-optation of progressive rights agendas being warned against. Secondly, sexual justice is viewed as a means, in which sexual justice is described as having potential to repair established frameworks' shortcomings and oppressive legacies.

Group Body Mapping: Exploring Intersectional Aspects of Obstetric Violence Through Embodiment-Experiences of Migrant Women in Situations of Vulnerability

This study investigated the use of group body mapping as a methodological tool to explore experiences of obstetric violence among migrant women from Senegal, Morocco, and Pakistan in Catalonia. The research aimed to assess the effectiveness of group body mapping in identifying the barriers these women faced during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, while also highlighting the intersectional dimensions of obstetric violence. The study identified seven key codes-Issues/Barriers, Trust, Gender, Body/Embodiment, Significant Relationships, Employment, and Gender-Based Violence-which were analyzed from an intersectional perspective. Group body mapping was presented as an effective strategy to visualize structural and invisible barriers, offering a deeper understanding of the sociocultural dynamics that affected migrant women's access to and experience of sexual and reproductive health services. This technique complemented traditional research methods by capturing complex narratives and revealing systemic structures tied to social status, gender, religion, language, and age. It empowered women to reclaim agency over their experiences within historically medicalized and colonized healthcare systems. Ultimately, the research highlighted the transformative potential of group body mapping in advancing healthcare equity and promoting culturally and gender-sensitive sexual and reproductive health services for marginalized populations.

A critical look to community wisdom: Applying the World Café method to health promotion and prevention

Patient experiences and ideas are key components for improving health promotion and prevention. Engaging patients and other stakeholders in sharing their practices and ideas is nowadays crucial to increase the legitimacy, credibility, and acceptability of the decisions in these fields, by fostering community wisdom. The World Café is a participatory method suitable to involve a large number of actors to propose creative solutions based on their different knowledge and experiences. However, the diffusion of this approach is not uniform in the various countries and health topics. This review summarises the specific topic, the study design, the number and the characteristics of participants, as well as the main findings and the purpose of the studies regarding the application of this method to health promotion and prevention. Among other results, it was found that the World Café is an appreciated, inspiring, and flexible participatory process often used in association with one or more other methods, to explore emergent themes or topics, to collect best practices or suggestions, to generate improvements or recommendations, and to define priorities for the implementation of projects or research agendas. The results highlight the potentiality of the World Café whenever an issue is not well defined and needs to be explored through deep and several insights. The method allows the exploitation of creativity and collective wisdom when qualitative and in-dept results-more than quantitative and statistically rigorous ones-are appropriate.

Immigrant women's perspectives on contraceptive counselling provided by midwives in Sweden - a qualitative study

Immigrant women in Sweden often have unmet sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs. Successful contraceptive counselling may improve their sexual and reproductive health and rights. The unique Swedish model, with midwives as the main providers of contraceptive counselling, is important for immigrant women's health at both individual and societal levels. This study explored immigrant women's perspectives on receiving contraceptive counselling from midwives in Sweden, in order to obtain deeper knowledge about the factors they perceive as important in the counselling situation. Nineteen in-depth individual interviews were conducted from December 2018 to February 2019, followed by qualitative manifest and latent content analysis. Trust emerged as the overall important factor in the contraceptive counselling meeting. Knowledge was lacking about the midwife's professional role as a contraceptive counsellor. Contraceptive counselling was seen as a private matter not easily shared with unfamiliar midwives or interpreters. Previous experiences of contraceptives and preconceptions were important considerations for contraceptive choice, but communicating these needs required trust. Women also wanted more knowledge about contraceptives and SRH care and rights. Cultural and social norms concerning when and why to use contraceptives needed to be acknowledged in the midwife encounter. Although immigrant women want more knowledge about contraception, a trustful relationship with the midwife is needed to be able to make informed contraceptive choices. Midwives may need increased awareness of the many factors influencing immigrant women's choices to ensure their contraceptive autonomy. Policy changes that promote new ways of counselling and ability to provide continuous care are needed.

School-Based Education: An Opportunity to Promote Equitable Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge

All young people are entitled to knowledge and support that protects their sexual and reproductive health. School-based education is the most opportune setting for young people to have equitable access to sexual and reproductive health education. However, there is room for significant improvements in the provision of sexual and reproductive health education globally, and a range of barriers to be addressed. The Global Standards for Health Promoting Schools is a framework for governments, policy-makers, and schools to ensure that all students receive sexual and reproductive health education and support that promotes their sexual and reproductive health and overall health and well-being. The Global Standards for Health Promoting Schools acknowledges that school environments, partnerships, governance, policies, and resources are ultimately influenced by government resources and policy, and that advocacy and meaningful action across each standard is required.

Standing Up for Culturally Competent Care in Portugal: The Experience of a “Health in Equality” Online Training Program on Individual and Cultural Diversity

Health professionals play an essential role in the protection and promotion of health rights without distinction of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, ethnicity/race, nationality and migration status, age, functional diversity, or any other individual and/or cultural positions. With the growing diversity of patient populations, health professionals must be able to identify and be responsive to individual and cultural diversity, ensuring equity in access to high-quality individually-centered care. For this, it is fundamental to promote training in cultural competence, understood as responsivity and the ability to work the valorization of multiple and intersectional identities throughout life. The paper aims to describe the experience of the implementation of the program “Health in Equality”, aimed at training the primary healthcare workforce in Portugal, which was based on Sue and Sue’s (2008) three-dimensional model of multicultural skills, which champions cultural best practices in an intersectional perspective. Based on the trainees’ and trainers’ evaluation of four completed editions developed online between March and July 2021, this study discusses ways to improve the impact of the training program and amplify the number of leaders and role models for other health care providers towards culturally competent healthcare systems and organizations.