New study reveals barriers to reproductive health care in US Latino Community.

New research presented at the National Council of La Raza Annual Conference reveals barriers to good sexual and reproductive health among Latino couples in the US. These barriers include inadequate education, lack of insurance, limited access to health care and cultural barriers.(1) One consequence is that some Latina women resort to family planning without their partner’s knowledge and feel the entire family planning process rests solely on them.(1) With 54 percent of Latino pregnancies unplanned, compared to 40 percent of white/non-Hispanic pregnancies , there is a need to address the barriers to better reproductive health knowledge and practices.

In addition, cultural factors such as upbringing, fear of being judged and machismo were identified in the research as discouraging Latino couples from communicating about sex and reproductive health issues (1).

“These findings present a call-to-action for those of us charged with providing educational resources to the members of the Latino community,” said Rosa Maria Marquez, a lay health educator, or promotora, based in Los Angeles. “We have made headway in recent years on diabetes and HIV/AIDS awareness education, but there is still work to do in the area of reproductive health.”

The research also reveals that both Latino men and women hold misconceptions about hormonal methods of birth control and lack critical information about long-term contraceptive options. A 2005 survey revealed that 42 percent of women believe that female sterilization is 100 percent effective in preventing pregnancy (3), but it is not (failure rate approximately five pregnancies per 1000 users). Nearly two-thirds of the women surveyed (all Latina) did not know that there is a form of birth control that is as effective or more effective than female sterilization. The research reveals an educational opportunity, however, as Latino men and women desire more information tailored to their needs.(1)

“The research reveals some myths and misconceptions about certain well-proven contraceptive methods, such as the IUC,” said Diana Ramos, MD, a leading obstetrician and gynecologist and assistant clinical professor at University of Southern California. “Intrauterine contraceptives, such as Mirena(R), offer women effective family planning without having to use daily birth control.”

Additional findings of the research include:(1)

— Latinas who seek reproductive healthcare feel disregarded by healthcare professionals, particularly if the woman has limited English fluency.
— The lack of Spanish-speaking healthcare professionals and materials are seen as barriers to routine sexual and reproductive health maintenance.
— Perceptions between men and women vary regarding the amount and quality of their communication about sexual and reproductive health.
— Latinos living in the US report ordering contraceptive products from their country of origin or asking others to bring them from these countries.

The research marks NCLR’s first-ever evaluation of reproductive health knowledge, perceptions and practices among US Latinos. Berlex supported the NCLR research as means to better understand the reproductive health concerns and needs of the growing US Latino population.

“As a leader in women’s health, Berlex recognizes the importance of identifying barriers to reproductive health in the fastest growing sector of the United States – the Latino community,” said Don Atkinson, vice president and general manager of female healthcare for Berlex. “The research underscores the need for more culturally-sensitive information and greater community involvement of professionals as well as lay educators to counsel couples about their contraception options.”

To download study CLICK below (Adobe Acrobat Reader required):

http://www.nclr.org/files/40994_file_IHH_Berlex_FINAL_CONFERENCE_EDITION_web.pdf