Reproductive health rights and survival: The voices of mothers experiencing homelessness

ABSTRACT

Women experiencing homelessness report higher rates of reproductive health-related traumas, including unplanned pregnancy, miscarriage, and abortion than their non-homeless peers. Using phenomenological hermeneutic methods, we sought to understand the reproductive health histories of women currently experiencing homelessness (N = 20, 25–61 years old, Mage = 38.33, SDage = 9.33) analyzing data collected between June 2014 and July 2015 in north central Texas. Three key themes highlight the essence of the women’s experiences: (1) unexpected pregnancy—pregnancy just happened, (2) loss of reproductive health rights—I was broken, and (3) resilience—giving back and looking forward to good things. Many of the women became mothers through unexpected pregnancies, and overnight found that their lives were transformed irrevocably. Often unexpected pregnancy was the result or cause of a lack of ownership over their reproductive health and led to prolonged health-related traumas. Over time, though, many of the women whom we interviewed re-expressed resilience through social support, housing assistance, and a sense of giving back to society. Results indicate that reproductive health care providers require training to identify the relationship among unexpected pregnancy, reproductive health-related traumas, and housing insecurity. Providers can help preserve women’s reproductive health rights through education and empowerment.

KEYWORDS:

• Health equity
• homeless
• phenomenology
• pregnancy
• reproductive health rights

Notes

1. The authors cannot verify the exact law to which this woman is referring, although it may be Family Code 2, Child in Relation to the Family, http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/FA/htm/FA.32.htm. This law does not expressly grant consent for medical treatment of minors to a spouse.