Reproductive and maternity health care services in Finland: perceptions and experiences of Somali-born immigrant women

Abstract

Objective. To explore immigrant Somali women's experiences of reproductive and maternity health care services (RMHCS) and their perceptions about the service providers.Design. Five focus group discussions were conducted from April 1999 to June 2000 using a purposeful sampling strategy in order to reach multiparous female Somali-born Immigrants with experiences from the maternity health care in Finland.Participants. A total of 70 married Somali women aged 18–50 and mother of 2–10 children were studied. Among them, 18 came from Kenya, 32 from Mogadishu and 20 from Hargeysa.Settings. Of the participants, 45 were living in the city of Vantaa, 22 in the city of Helsinki and 13 in the city of Turku.Results. Participants were satisfied with the RMHCS they received in Finland. Despite their satisfaction, the health care providers' social attitudes towards them were perceived as unfriendly, and communication as poor.Conclusions. The women's experiences revealed that they have access to good quality RMHCS in Finland. While their experiences are significant, their perceptions are important for physicians, nurses and midwives in order to achieve culturally competent care.