Citation

Carballo M, Grocutt M, Hadzihasanovic A. World Health Stat. Q. 1996; 49(2): 158-164.

Affiliation

International Centre for Migration and Health, Geneva, Switzerland.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, World Health Organization)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

9050196

Abstract

Migration has a complex effect on health, and women migrants face health problems that are exacerbated by their inferior social status as well as by their unique biological characteristics. The magnitude of migration appears to be increasing, and labor migration has become age- and sex-selective. Family cohesion is threatened by migration policies and contemporary migration patterns. Women migrants face barriers to economic mobility when they migrate, especially when they lose the status attached to their family positions. Migrant women also face sexual abuse by employers in receiving countries and from personnel and inhabitants in refugee camps. Migration also fuels the sex tourism industry in countries as diverse as the Netherlands and Thailand. Adverse health conditions may result from voluntary and forced migration because of administrative obstacles to care, a lack of awareness about available services, linguistic barriers, failure to make health issues a priority, and the inferior social status of women. Pregnancy outcomes and perinatal health indicators suffer as well, and crude death rates of refugees are higher than baseline rates in their countries of origin. Rape and prostitution among migrant women become key factors in transmission of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. Breast-feeding practices may be compromised by the indiscriminate distribution of milk powder and supplementary foods in refugee camps or by adoption of the more "modern" habits of urban areas. Families are disrupted when women are impeded from supplying their usual care, and household conflicts occur when women define new roles for themselves in receiving countries. Among women, the stress of migration and resulting cultural shock has also led to occurrences of unexplained nocturnal death (Hmong), psychosomatic blindness (Cambodians), and feelings of alienation.

Language: en