A descriptive analysis of sexual and reproductive health services for Syrian women in Türkiye provided through minimum initial service package approach

Objective: Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is a priority public health emergency response for women during humanitarian crisis situations as they face the risk of being neglected in health care systems of the country of arrival. This study aimed to investigate Syrian refugee women’s utilization of SRH services, through Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) approach, provided by a team including health mediators at Women Health Counseling Units (WHCU) established as part of a collaborative project. Methods: Questionnaires were administered face-to-face by Arabic-speaking Turkish female interviewers to 413 Syrian women who previously received services from the WHCU. Descriptive statistics were presented and Pearson chi-square tests were conducted to analyse bivariate differences between categorical variables. Results: Child marriages were common among more than half (%59) of the participants. Majority of deliveries took place in the public hospitals (95%) and as attended by a doctor (93%). The percentage of participants using modern contraceptive methods was found to be 39,7% who were more frequently from younger age groups. However, the withdrawal method was relatively more prevalent among older participants. Conclusion: Incorporating the MISP approach into primary health care practices as an integral part of response efforts in humanitarian crises, is considered as a promising model for strengthening refugee women’s access to culturally and gender sensitive SRH services and contribute to fulfillment of SRH rights. Employing refugee health mediators is assessed to function as a crucial link between the refugee community and the health care system enhancing the accessibility and effectiveness of SRH services provided.