Redefining intimacy: a qualitative study on sexual function experiences and perspectives among migrant and refugee women in South Australia.

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dc.contributor.authorMirzaei Damabi, N.
dc.contributor.authorAvery, J.C.
dc.contributor.authorBegum, M.
dc.contributor.authorMeherali, S.
dc.contributor.authorLassi, Z.S.
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstractBackground: Sexual function is a fundamental aspect of sexual health, yet migrant and refugee women from Lowand Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) often face unique challenges in navigating intimacy and sexual function postmigration. While sociocultural norms, migration-related stressors, and healthcare access influence their experiences, yet these perspectives remain underexplored. Methods: This qualitative exploratory study explored the perspectives and experiences of sexual function among first-generation migrant and refugee women from low- and middle-income countries residing in South Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 reproductive-aged cisgender heterosexual women from diverse cultural backgrounds, recruited through multiple culturally appropriate approaches including community organisations supporting migrant and refugee populations and online outreach via the purpose-built RISE website. Although multilingual support and professional interpreters were available, all participants opted to be interviewed in English. Interviews were conducted by a trained qualitative researcher with shared migrant background, and reflexive, inductive thematic analysis guided by social constructivist epistemology was used to identify key influences on sexual health and intimacy. Results: Participants reported that cultural norms, sociocultural expectations, and migration-related stressors shaped their sexual experiences. Many described difficulties in navigating cultural taboos, communication barriers, and limited access to culturally sensitive healthcare services. Conversely, while migration provided opportunities for increased sexual autonomy, self-discovery, and improved partner communication, deeply ingrained cultural beliefs and emotional struggles continued to impact their sexual well-being. Conclusions: The findings highlight the need for culturally sensitive, gender-appropriate sexual health services and the removal of financial, linguistic, and systemic barriers to healthcare access. Healthcare providers, policymakers, and community organisations play a crucial role in fostering inclusive environments that support migrant and refugee women’s sexual health and well-being.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityNegin Mirzaei Damabi, Jodie C. Avery, Mumtaz Begum, Salima Meherali, and Zohra S. Lassi
dc.identifier.citationInternational Journal for Equity in Health, 2025; 24(1):228-1-228-16
dc.identifier.doi10.1186/s12939-025-02614-z
dc.identifier.issn1475-9276
dc.identifier.issn1475-9276
dc.identifier.orcidMirzaei Damabi, N. [0000-0003-3643-492X]
dc.identifier.orcidAvery, J.C. [0000-0002-8857-9162]
dc.identifier.orcidBegum, M. [0000-0001-6302-3697]
dc.identifier.orcidLassi, Z.S. [0000-0002-5350-6334]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/147168
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherBMC
dc.relation.granthttp://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/GNT2009730
dc.rights© The Author(s) 2025. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, which permits any non-commercial use, sharing, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if you modified the licensed material. You do not have permission under this licence to share adapted material derived from this article or parts of it. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02614-z
dc.subjectSexual function; Migrant; Refugee; Women
dc.subject.meshHumans
dc.subject.meshFemale
dc.subject.meshRefugees
dc.subject.meshQualitative Research
dc.subject.meshTransients and Migrants
dc.subject.meshSouth Australia
dc.subject.meshAdult
dc.subject.meshSexual Behavior
dc.subject.meshSexual Health
dc.subject.meshMiddle Aged
dc.subject.meshInterviews as Topic
dc.subject.meshHealth Services Accessibility
dc.subject.meshYoung Adult
dc.titleRedefining intimacy: a qualitative study on sexual function experiences and perspectives among migrant and refugee women in South Australia.
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished online

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