Family Planning Research in African Immigrant and Refugee Women: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

African immigrants are a vulnerable population who are seldom seen in the literature, however, the scant research available reports that they experience increased challenges when making family planning decisions. A robust understanding of their specific family planning practices is imperative to providing appropriate, culturally congruent care. Considering this disparity, a scoping review was conducted to synthesize empirical knowledge and identify gaps in the literature around family planning in African immigrant populations in the United States. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) framework, EMBASE, Global Health Database, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and PubMed were searched for literature regarding family planning topics such as decision-making and health care access among African immigrant women in the United States in June 2020. The small number of retrieved studies for the literature review clearly highlights a dearth of research. Available evidence indicates stark disparities in health care access, unmet individual needs, and unacknowledged preferences. Ignoring cultural considerations for the growing African immigrant population perpetuates the divide in family planning practices.