Approach to Providing Culturally Sensitive Gynecologic and Obstetric Care for Somali Women

Ostrowski, Izabella

Item

Approach to Providing Culturally Sensitive Gynecologic and Obstetric Care for Somali Women

Ostrowski, Izabella

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Abstract

Many refugees have fled Somalia over the past 30 years due to political instability and civil war. Since 1980, over 8,000 refugees have settled in Vermont, with about 9% of refugees being from Somalia. Community Health Centers of Burlington (CHCB) provides prenatal and primary care to many Somali women in the community. There are known gynecologic and obstetric health disparities for Somali women, such as significantly lower completion rates of mammography and pap smears than non-Somali patients. Research has shown that an understanding of cultural health beliefs and values are crucial for creating tailored prevention programs for refugee women. This project aims to outline several examples of beliefs, values and traditions of Somali women that are important for students and providers to know in order to provide the most culturally sensitive care.