Room 520-A | Sexuality and Health Tuesday, July 12, 2005 Time: 8:30 AM-10:30 AM |
Research on SRHR' beliefs and traditions among Afghan Refugees.
Ghatrifi, Davood*,1, Ghatrifi, Rouhollah1, Eivazkhani, Shahrzad1, Ghatrifi, Maryam1, 1 International research development Pars Institute, Tehran, Tehran, Iran
ABSTRACT- Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights are a part of human rights. Unfortunately, according to unstable social, cultural and economical situation in Afghanistan, this country has undesirable health indicators. A long term war has made the refugees to seek for an asylum in other countries such as Iran. As we know, becoming a refugee is one of the most important anxiety &stress and also it leads to deprivation of people to have access to SRHR services. Meanwhile no well attention would be paid to women and children during affliction. In our last programs, such as holding educational courses on SRHR and offering SRHR services, we confronted with many difficulties such as conflict in believes and values of the afghan's society. In this project, Some inspections were performed for finding Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights' habits, believes and traditions and their main roots among afghan refugees with cooperation of themselves. Then we prepared the intervention program. Methodology: This inspection is a qualitative- descriptive-participatory research. At first step, 180 questionnaires were completed by afghan participants who were involved in project in 6 areas of Iran. The level of literacy of these people was at Diploma. The continuation of the program and achieved information were analyzed with statistical, analysis, anticipatory methods. Main body: This inspection was done on 8 components of SRHR issues which as are fallows: - Adolescent health for girls - Adolescent health for boys - Pre-marriage counseling - Family planning - Pre-natal& post-natal care - Common cancers - Menopause The results indicate several important points which are mentioned below: 1. There is a lack of information on SRHR issues. 2. A high prevalence of wrong believes which have had roots in some traditions and customs and in some cases mistakenly would have been charged to religion believes. 3. No desire on information dissemination to adolescent and young people. Some of the achieved findings are as fallow: 1. A low and defective awareness about HIV/AIDS and there is a negative approach to this matter. 2. Most of the young people especially girls didn't have right of making decision for marriage. 3. A high prevalence of familial and ethnical marriage. 4. A high prevalence of marriage under 18 years old. 5. No observance of basic health such as taking a bath in menstrual period and no washing of external genital system in this time. The reason of these actions have roots in incorrect believes. 6. There is no belief about prenatal care. 7-The high prevalence of the pregnancy under 18 years old and paying no attention to hygienic, nutritional and psychological status in pregnant women. 8-There are big size families, multiparty, not having believes in use of contraception, low male participation. 9-People should not interfere with God work and don't have right of decision making on family planning. 10- Menopause is equal to the end of the women life and there was lack of accurate information about this duration. Conclusion: According to the primary opinion poll, economic and service offering were the most important roots .Refugees found collecting cards and tree model procedures very useful. Based on the results ,the most important roots of SRH problems were cultural issues and lack of information and the best strategy direction for improving SRHR and developing community are community-based project that empower people to think, design,act, ...
Key words: Refugees SRH Needs-Afghanestan, Afghan Refugees- Believes and customs, PRA, Empowering community-Disaster, Afghan refugees in IRAN