The paradox of choice in the sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges of south-south migrant girls and women in Central America and Mexico: A scoping review of the literature
The last decade has seen high levels of displacement in Central America and Mexico, with women and girls representing a growing share of this flow. Women and girls face a unique set of sexual and reproductive health risks, both as a direct result of the migration process, and as a consequence of vio...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Migration and Health |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623522000666 |
| _version_ | 1797799909884166144 |
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| author | Ann Garbett Natalia Cintra de Oliveira Tavares Pia Riggirozzi Sarah Neal |
| author_facet | Ann Garbett Natalia Cintra de Oliveira Tavares Pia Riggirozzi Sarah Neal |
| author_sort | Ann Garbett |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The last decade has seen high levels of displacement in Central America and Mexico, with women and girls representing a growing share of this flow. Women and girls face a unique set of sexual and reproductive health risks, both as a direct result of the migration process, and as a consequence of violence, conflict and oppressive gender norms in the region.This scoping review adopts a five-stage process to search for, identify, and review selected literature to answer two questions: (1) what sexual and reproductive health and rights risks, challenges, and needs do women and girls face before and during displacement; and (2) how do issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights influence women and girls’ coping mechanisms and decisions in displacement in the region? Extracted data from intersecting literature on migration, gender, and health in the corridors of migration in Central America and Mexico are mapped and analyzed against a framework adapted from the Guttmacher-Lancet Commission on components of sexual and reproductive health and rights.Many Central American and Mexican women and girls flee conditions of gang-related conflict, gender-based violence, poverty, and other situations of extreme disadvantage. Findings from this study demonstrate they face further deprivation and suffering from the denial of health and rights throughout the migratory cycle. This review finds that migrant women and girls encounter considerable barriers to accessing services of sexual and reproductive health, are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, and face many violations of sexual and reproductive rights. Young migrants and sex workers, who are often connected with irregular migration in border areas, appear to be particularly vulnerable. Findings also reveal that the literature tends to focus on sexual health and rights, with a relative paucity of evidence on wider reproductive health issues. Of critical importance is how women and girls must constantly balance risk and opportunity in situations of constrained choice, and how their coping strategies and decisions define and influence their migration trajectories and broader wellbeing. This review identifies a gap in the literature around comprehensive studies that define sexual and reproductive health and rights beyond the confines of disease and sexual behavior, as well as a need for greater focus on under-represented migrant groups such as adolescent girls. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:27:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-913ab23ba9fa464aba3d8842a6ffae94 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-6235 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T04:27:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Migration and Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-913ab23ba9fa464aba3d8842a6ffae942023-06-20T04:20:59ZengElsevierJournal of Migration and Health2666-62352023-01-017100143The paradox of choice in the sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges of south-south migrant girls and women in Central America and Mexico: A scoping review of the literatureAnn Garbett0Natalia Cintra de Oliveira Tavares1Pia Riggirozzi2Sarah Neal3Corresponding author.; School of Economic, Social and Political Sciences, University of Southampton, Building 58, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United KingdomSchool of Economic, Social and Political Sciences, University of Southampton, Building 58, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United KingdomSchool of Economic, Social and Political Sciences, University of Southampton, Building 58, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United KingdomSchool of Economic, Social and Political Sciences, University of Southampton, Building 58, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, United KingdomThe last decade has seen high levels of displacement in Central America and Mexico, with women and girls representing a growing share of this flow. Women and girls face a unique set of sexual and reproductive health risks, both as a direct result of the migration process, and as a consequence of violence, conflict and oppressive gender norms in the region.This scoping review adopts a five-stage process to search for, identify, and review selected literature to answer two questions: (1) what sexual and reproductive health and rights risks, challenges, and needs do women and girls face before and during displacement; and (2) how do issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights influence women and girls’ coping mechanisms and decisions in displacement in the region? Extracted data from intersecting literature on migration, gender, and health in the corridors of migration in Central America and Mexico are mapped and analyzed against a framework adapted from the Guttmacher-Lancet Commission on components of sexual and reproductive health and rights.Many Central American and Mexican women and girls flee conditions of gang-related conflict, gender-based violence, poverty, and other situations of extreme disadvantage. Findings from this study demonstrate they face further deprivation and suffering from the denial of health and rights throughout the migratory cycle. This review finds that migrant women and girls encounter considerable barriers to accessing services of sexual and reproductive health, are vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, and face many violations of sexual and reproductive rights. Young migrants and sex workers, who are often connected with irregular migration in border areas, appear to be particularly vulnerable. Findings also reveal that the literature tends to focus on sexual health and rights, with a relative paucity of evidence on wider reproductive health issues. Of critical importance is how women and girls must constantly balance risk and opportunity in situations of constrained choice, and how their coping strategies and decisions define and influence their migration trajectories and broader wellbeing. This review identifies a gap in the literature around comprehensive studies that define sexual and reproductive health and rights beyond the confines of disease and sexual behavior, as well as a need for greater focus on under-represented migrant groups such as adolescent girls.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623522000666South-south migrationDisplacementSexual and reproductive health and rightsGender-based violenceWomenAdolescent girls |
| spellingShingle | Ann Garbett Natalia Cintra de Oliveira Tavares Pia Riggirozzi Sarah Neal The paradox of choice in the sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges of south-south migrant girls and women in Central America and Mexico: A scoping review of the literature Journal of Migration and Health South-south migration Displacement Sexual and reproductive health and rights Gender-based violence Women Adolescent girls |
| title | The paradox of choice in the sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges of south-south migrant girls and women in Central America and Mexico: A scoping review of the literature |
| title_full | The paradox of choice in the sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges of south-south migrant girls and women in Central America and Mexico: A scoping review of the literature |
| title_fullStr | The paradox of choice in the sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges of south-south migrant girls and women in Central America and Mexico: A scoping review of the literature |
| title_full_unstemmed | The paradox of choice in the sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges of south-south migrant girls and women in Central America and Mexico: A scoping review of the literature |
| title_short | The paradox of choice in the sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges of south-south migrant girls and women in Central America and Mexico: A scoping review of the literature |
| title_sort | paradox of choice in the sexual and reproductive health and rights challenges of south south migrant girls and women in central america and mexico a scoping review of the literature |
| topic | South-south migration Displacement Sexual and reproductive health and rights Gender-based violence Women Adolescent girls |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666623522000666 |
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