Abstract
Introduction: The Syrian conflict has displaced approximately 1.5 million people to Lebanon. In this setting of forced displacement, child marriage, insecurity, and limited access to sexual and reproductive health services can lead to increased rates of adolescent pregnancy, which have been linked to exacerbated maternal morbidity and mortality. Family planning can help to delay childbirth, increase time between pregnancies, and empower women to make their own reproductive health choices. To date, there is limited research on the knowledge of, and attitudes towards, family planning among Syrian refugees in Lebanon.Objective: Identify knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions towards family planning among Syrian refugees with the overarching goal of informing response strategies to improve sexual and reproductive health for displaced Syrian families in Lebanon.Methods: A thematic qualitative analysis of focus group discussions conducted in Lebanon in January 2017 by the ABAAD Resource Center for Gender Equality. The sample of 99 participants included Syrian women, girls and men.Results: While contraceptive use was generally deemed acceptable by women and girls, husbands’ and mother-inlaws’ attitudes towards fertility influenced their decisions about its use in practice. Additionally, reliable family planning services and sexual and reproductive health education were perceived as seldom available to Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Participants suggested that family planning awareness programs were needed for both parents and girls.Discussion: Changes at the policy, service, community, and individual levels are required to increase knowledge regarding and access to family planning services for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. In the interim, non governmental organizations may play a role in providing educational and supportive services for displaced Syrian girls and women.
Highlights
The Syrian conflict has displaced approximately 1.5 million people to Lebanon
Women reported that a man may oppose contraception use if he does not have a son to carry on the family name and some husbands had threatened to leave their wives if they did not produce a child
sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services exist for Syrian refugees in Lebanon and numerous organizations provide contraceptives, the results highlight important barriers to accessing family planning (FP), and Syrian women, girls and men all perceive an unmet need for comprehensive SRH care
Summary
The Syrian conflict has displaced approximately 1.5 million people to Lebanon. In this setting of forced displacement, child marriage, insecurity, and limited access to sexual and reproductive health services can lead to increased rates of adolescent pregnancy, which have been linked to exacerbated maternal morbidity and mortality. Previous research indicates that in Lebanon, female adolescent refugees often experience restricted movement and do not have the freedom to leave home and attend school due to fears about their safety [4,5,6] These safety concerns have, in part, led to an increased rate of child marriage and decreased age at which many Syrian girls are married in Lebanon [7]. In 2017, approximately 35% of Syrian refugee girls in Lebanon were reportedly married before the age of 18 compared to 13% of girls marrying in Syria before the age of 18 in 2006 [10]
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