Sexual and reproductive health experiences of separated young people on the move
Citation: Mason-Jones AJ, Nicholson P. Structural violence and marginalisation. The sexual and reproductive health experiences of separated young people on the move. A rapid review with relevance to the European humanitarian crisis. Public Health. 2018;1(158):156-62.
Language: Abstract and full text available in EN.
Free to view: Yes.
Funding sources: The authors reported they had no external funding for this review.
What is this? In this rapid review, the authors searched for any study or article type that reported on the sexual reproductive health needs of displaced children and young migrants who are travelling alone or with an unrelated adult (referred to as ‘separated’ children and young people). They restricted their searches to articles published in English between 2000 and June 2017 or grey literature. They included 44 articles from a range of countries.
What was found: Separated young migrants are at greater risk due to two identified themes: structural violence and marginalisation. These key themes described vulnerability to violence and exploitation, poor knowledge of sexual health, unmet service needs, stigma that prevented separated children and young people from seeking help, and poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes.
Implications: The authors of the review stated that the unique sexual and reproductive health needs of young migrants without guardianship should be acknowledged and met.
Other considerations: The authors of the review discuss their findings in the context of place of residence, race, ethnicity, culture, language, gender, sex, education, and social capital.
This summary was prepared by Charlotte Fleming, checked by Sydney Johnson, and finalized by Anne-Marie Glenny.
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