Qualitative study exploring peer health education with women experiencing incarceration in the USA

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Introduction: Women experiencing incarceration face health care inequities related to their sexual and reproductive health, which warrant nuanced interventions to serve this vulnerable population. Despite the proven benefits of peer education in carceral settings, there is minimal research on its application to women’s health education. Objective: To qualitatively describe the teaching experiences and insights from a peer-to-peer reproductive health education programme to provide future guidance and direction for similar work. Design/setting/method: In collaboration with a state correctional system in the Northeastern region of the USA, an eight-module curriculum on women’s sexual and reproductive health was developed using evidence-based recommendations. The peer education programme was implemented with seven women residents of a state correctional facility who received training on the curriculum and shared their knowledge with peers. The teaching experiences of the peer educators were recorded during a focus group discussion and analysed thematically. Results: The focus group discussions highlighted opportunities for improved health education and a strong desire to learn and share knowledge, as it can be gratifying, self-affirming, and empowering despite logistical constraints to programming in prison. Conclusion: Peer education is an underused intervention in the carceral setting that can empower women by increasing their health literacy for medical decision-making. Further evaluation of peer education models that focus on women’s reproductive health care needs is warranted.