Page 159 - S. Ličen, I. Karnjuš, & M. Prosen (Eds.). (2019). Women, migrations and health: Ensuring transcultural healthcare. Koper, University of Primorska Press.
P. 159
Monoligual Health?
palities (the Municipality of Koper, the Municipality of Izola and the Munici-
pality of Piran) (Sedmak et al., 2018a, 2018b, 2018c). The survey was carried out
as a part of INTERREG cross-border project INTEGRA: Cross-border Network
for Immigrant Women: Social Integration, Sexual and Reproductive Health,
which takes place in Slovenia and Italy. We will present the five topics men-
tioned above, each of them affecting the reproductive and sexual health of
migrant women in Slovenia, namely language and communication issues,
intercultural competencies of health professionals, discriminatory behaviour
and practices of health professionals, information and healthcare services ac-
cess, and the importance of social ties for the reproductive health of migrant
women.
Methodology
The implementation of semi-structured interviews within the case study of
the coastal area took place between May and August 2018. Three health cen-
tres were included in the study, namely Health Center Koper, Health Cen-
ter Izola and Health Center Piran, as well as Izola General Hospital. Ethical
approval of the research was obtained by each institution. The survey was
carried out among the health centre staff of the community nursing service
and gynaecology clinics, and at Izola General Hospital at the Department of
Obstetrics and Gynaecology. In this context, 18 semi-structured interviews
with health professionals in the field of sexual and reproductive health were
conducted, namely three in-depth interviews with gynaecologists (health
centres and hospital), four interviews with midwives in the maternity ward,
two interviews with nurses in the maternity ward and three group inter-
views with nine community nurses (HC Koper, HC Izola and HC Piran). A tele-
phone conversation with a pro bono clinic in Ljubljana was also conducted
and information on the pro-bono clinics in Koper was obtained from the
management of HC Koper. All interviews with medical staff were carried out
with prior personal consent and with the permission of the health institu-
tion concerned; they were carried out at workplaces and lasted between one
hour and one and a half hours. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. In
the period mentioned, eight in-depth interviews with migrant women from
India, the Philippines, Ukraine, Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Azerbaijan and
Bosnia who live in the area of the three coastal municipalities were also con-
ducted.³ For a better understanding, it should be highlighted that the area
³ In order to protect their anonymity, the statements given by the interviewees (in the chapter
Findings) do not contain information about their characteristics, such as ethnicity, age etc. The
157
palities (the Municipality of Koper, the Municipality of Izola and the Munici-
pality of Piran) (Sedmak et al., 2018a, 2018b, 2018c). The survey was carried out
as a part of INTERREG cross-border project INTEGRA: Cross-border Network
for Immigrant Women: Social Integration, Sexual and Reproductive Health,
which takes place in Slovenia and Italy. We will present the five topics men-
tioned above, each of them affecting the reproductive and sexual health of
migrant women in Slovenia, namely language and communication issues,
intercultural competencies of health professionals, discriminatory behaviour
and practices of health professionals, information and healthcare services ac-
cess, and the importance of social ties for the reproductive health of migrant
women.
Methodology
The implementation of semi-structured interviews within the case study of
the coastal area took place between May and August 2018. Three health cen-
tres were included in the study, namely Health Center Koper, Health Cen-
ter Izola and Health Center Piran, as well as Izola General Hospital. Ethical
approval of the research was obtained by each institution. The survey was
carried out among the health centre staff of the community nursing service
and gynaecology clinics, and at Izola General Hospital at the Department of
Obstetrics and Gynaecology. In this context, 18 semi-structured interviews
with health professionals in the field of sexual and reproductive health were
conducted, namely three in-depth interviews with gynaecologists (health
centres and hospital), four interviews with midwives in the maternity ward,
two interviews with nurses in the maternity ward and three group inter-
views with nine community nurses (HC Koper, HC Izola and HC Piran). A tele-
phone conversation with a pro bono clinic in Ljubljana was also conducted
and information on the pro-bono clinics in Koper was obtained from the
management of HC Koper. All interviews with medical staff were carried out
with prior personal consent and with the permission of the health institu-
tion concerned; they were carried out at workplaces and lasted between one
hour and one and a half hours. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. In
the period mentioned, eight in-depth interviews with migrant women from
India, the Philippines, Ukraine, Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, Azerbaijan and
Bosnia who live in the area of the three coastal municipalities were also con-
ducted.³ For a better understanding, it should be highlighted that the area
³ In order to protect their anonymity, the statements given by the interviewees (in the chapter
Findings) do not contain information about their characteristics, such as ethnicity, age etc. The
157
