Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-8603-8-21
Title: Facilitators and barriers to accessing reproductive health care for migrant beer promoters in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam: A mixed methods study
Authors: Webber, G
Spitzer, D 
Somrongthong, R
Dat, T.C
Kounnavongsa, S
Keywords: environmental factor
health insurance
health services
health survey
migrant worker
primary health care
prostitution
public service
reproductive health
womens health
workplace
adult
article
beer
behavior
Cambodia
environmental factor
female
health service
health survey
human
Laos
major clinical study
migration
priority journal
reproductive health
sexual health
Thailand
Viet Nam
beer
health care delivery
health service
information processing
migration
prostitution
questionnaire
Bangkok
Cambodia
Central Region [Thailand]
Hanoi
Krung Thep Mahanakhon
Laos
Phnom Penh
Thailand
Vientiane
Viet Nam
Adult
Beer
Cambodia
Female
Focus Groups
Health Services Accessibility
Humans
Laos
Prostitution
Questionnaires
Reproductive Health Services
Thailand
Transients and Migrants
Vietnam
Issue Date: 2012
Publisher: BMC
Citation: Webber, G, Spitzer, D, Somrongthong, R, Dat, T.C, Kounnavongsa, S (2012). Facilitators and barriers to accessing reproductive health care for migrant beer promoters in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam: A mixed methods study. Globalization and Health 8 : 21. ScholarBank@NUS Repository. https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-8603-8-21
Rights: Attribution 4.0 International
Abstract: Background: The purpose of the research was to assess access to sexual and reproductive health services for migrant women who work as beer promoters. This mixed methods research was conducted in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Bangkok, Thailand, Vientiane, Laos, and Hanoi, Vietnam during 2010 to 2011.Methods: Focus groups were held with beer promoters and separate focus groups or interviews with key informants to explore the factors affecting beer promoters' access to health care institutions for reproductive health care. The findings of the focus groups were used to develop a survey for beer promoters. This survey was conducted in popular health institutions for these women in each of the four Asian cities.Results: Several common themes were evident. Work demands prevented beer promoters from accessing health care. Institutional factors affecting care included cost, location, environmental factors (e.g. waiting times, cleanliness and confidentiality) and service factors (e.g. staff attitudes, clinic hours, and availability of medications). Personal factors affecting access were shyness and fear, lack of knowledge, and support from family and friends.The survey of the beer promoters confirmed that cost, location and both environmental and service factors impact on access to health care services for beer promoters. Many beer promoters are sexually active, and a significant proportion of those surveyed rely on sex work to supplement their income. Many also drink with their clients. Despite a few differences amongst the surveyed population, the findings were remarkably similar across the four research sites.Conclusions: Recommendations from the research include the provision of evening and weekend clinic hours to facilitate access, free or low cost clinics, and health insurance through employer or government plans which are easy to access for migrants. Other improvements that would facilitate the access of beer promoters to these services include increased funding to hire more staff (reducing waiting times) and to stock more needed medications, mobile clinics to come to the workplace or free transportation for beer promoters to the clinics, improved training to reduce health care provider stigma against beer promoters, and public education about the importance of reproductive health care, including preventative services. © 2012 Webber et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
Source Title: Globalization and Health
URI: https://scholarbank.nus.edu.sg/handle/10635/178147
ISSN: 1744-8603
DOI: 10.1186/1744-8603-8-21
Rights: Attribution 4.0 International
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