Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, and Quality of SRHR related health care for unaccompanied minor girls in VGR: A qualitative study based on the perceptions of health care professionals.

Abstract

Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are fundamental to both the individual’s health as well as to public health. Despite that, SRHR are still only a desire and an ambition for millions of women and girls around the world, and the suffering due to SRHR related issues continues to be a large part of the global ill health. This study aims to examine what SRHR related needs, health care professionals perceive unaccompanied minor girls in Region Västra Götaland, Sweden, to have and, how existing health care services address these needs. Furthermore, the aim is to identify areas for improvement regarding the availability, accessibility, acceptability, and quality of these health services, in accordance with the AAAQ framework. The data for this study was collected through six semi-structured interviews with professionals working at SRHR related health care services and analysed in accordance with established standards for thematic analysis and the theoretical framework AAAQ. Through the process of analysing the data, twelve sub themes were identified as barriers and needs, to reach the enjoyment of the right to health. The findings of the study are in line with previous research which conclude that unaccompanied minor girls have different health needs than the general public and that their right to health and specifically their SRHR is not being fulfilled. The findings of this study do also reveal inadequacies and constraints in the provision of an accessible SRHR related care for these girls and provide directions for recommendations to address these inadequacies.