The Medical Evaluation of the Newly Resettled Female Refugee: A Narrative Review

Abstract

The number of forcibly displaced individuals worldwide is increasing each year, reaching 65 million persons by the end of 2015, half of which were women and children. As the population of displaced persons grows, it is every physician’s responsibility to understand these patients and their health needs. Refugee patients and the providers who care for them face many barriers to effective patient care, including language barriers, cultural differences, and systematic inequalities. Female refugees commonly experience gender-based violence, repetitive trauma, stigmatized mental illness, and cultural barriers to women’s healthcare. This review is intended to be a comprehensive guide for the provider caring for the recently resettled female refugee patient. It addresses general considerations for working with refugee patients, initial medical evaluation guidelines, specific women’s health issues, and mental health care of female refugee patients.