Displaced maternity: pregnancy, voluntary abortion and women’s health for immigrant women in Portugal

Abstract

Objective: To identify issues related to topics such as maternity, pregnancy, voluntary abortion and women’s health from the perspective of Brazilian and African immigrants living in Portugal. Methods: This is an exploratory and descriptive study with a qualitative approach, held in Portugal between May and June 2008, with 35 immigrant women (from Brazil and the Portuguese-speaking African countries - Lusophone Africa or PALOP). Information was collected through a sociodemographic questionnaire and focus group conduction. Data was analyzed according to the common procedure of content analysis. Two categories of analysis emerged: 1) Pregnancy and Maternity and 2) Voluntary Abortion. Results: The research included 15 Brazilian and 20 African, aged between 21 and 45 years. Brazilian participants refer to possess higher educational level compared to African women. In general, both women go through various difficulties regarding issues involving pregnancy, maternity and voluntary abortion, especially sociocultural differences faced by the country in which they live. Conclusion: It is necessary the adoption of a social model of positive health, focused on the individuals’ and the population needs and, as far as possible, adapted to their specificities. In this sense, it is relevant that models are developed to promote the immigrant participation in the development of actions for health promotion in this area. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.5020/18061230.2013.p470

Keywords

• Migração Internacional
• Saúde da Mulher
• Aborto
• Promoção da Saúde.