Reproductive health in pre and post menopausal women: A special focus on migrants

Abstract

Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) are extremely common and a major health concern for Indian women especially when they reach middle and later adulthood years. An attempt has been made in this study to examine the prevalence of reproductive tract infections among middle aged and older adult migrant women by using a mixed method approach. The study population consists of 200 middle aged women in pre menopausal (50-55 years) group and older women (55-65 years) group in post menopausal. Along with quantitative data, in-depth interviews and focused group discussions were organized. Results indicated that more than half of the respondents had symptoms of RTIs. The most frequently reported symptoms were abnormal vaginal discharge (48 percent), lower abdominal pain (63.2percent) and minor problems. The food consumption pattern was not satisfactory in almost all the respondents. The outcome of the study highlights a dire need to advance a healthy food system to prevent adverse reproductive health problems and avoid associated health care costs.