Culture, Immigration, and Sex: A Look into How Dichotomous Cultures Impact Immigrants’ Sexual and Reproductive Health in the United States

Abstract

Unlike current literature at the nexus of immigration and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), this study first analyzes how socially conservative attitudes about menstruation and sex have an impact on SRH accessibility in immigrants’ countries of origin. I then employ the theory of acculturation to investigate how individuals’ native cultural conceptions of SRH mesh with those existing in the United States, as well as any effects on accessibility to US SRH services and products. This study collected survey and interview data from menstruating and gestating immigrants in the US. A mixed methods research design then employs phenomenology techniques to code interviews and subject survey data to statical tests. The findings suggest that a high degree of social conservatism in immigrants’ countries of origin cause them to be more comfortable participating in sexual activities in the US, which, in turn, causes a higher consumption of SRH products than SRH services. This study then concludes that immigrants perceive US healthcare and insurance providers as counterintuitive, costly, and confusing, which serves to discourage their interaction with US SRH systems.