Alomair, Noura;
(2022)
Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women in Saudi Arabia: Needs, Perceptions, and Experiences.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Background: There is no formal sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education currently offered in Saudi Arabia. Lack of knowledge and misconceptions can lead to negative SRH experiences and poor health outcomes. The aim of this thesis is to explore the SRH needs, perceptions and experiences of Saudi women. / Methods: I conducted a systematic review exploring factors influencing Muslim women’s SRH worldwide and two qualitative studies using semi-structured interviews with 28 Saudi women of reproductive age and 16 stakeholders including healthcare providers, religious scholars, and policymakers in Saudi Arabia. / Findings: Saudi women lacked SRH knowledge including puberty and menstruation, sex and reproduction, contraception, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Lack of knowledge contributed greatly to negative experiences both in childhood and adulthood. Access to SRH information and services is a complex matter that is affected by interrelated factors including personal, family, socio-cultural, religious, institutional factors, and national policies and regulations. Being unmarried posed a significant barrier to accessing SRH information and services. Saudi women interviewed were highly educated and exhibited control over fertility choices, affirming that education played a fundamental role in their reproductive autonomy. However, socio-cultural factors and community pressures still impacted women’s reproductive choices. All research participants believed in the importance of SRH education in Saudi Arabia. Women and stakeholders agreed that education should be introduced gradually. SRH education as premarital counselling was viewed as the best way for gradually introducing sex education in the country. / Conclusions: There is a substantial unmet need for SRH education and services for women in Saudi Arabia. My findings provide recommendations for the development of culturally and religiously sensitive SRH interventions for Muslims worldwide. Overall, my research highlights the lack of sexual health data and research in Saudi Arabia. Efforts to encourage and support research and training within this field are highly needed.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women in Saudi Arabia: Needs, Perceptions, and Experiences |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2022. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > Institute of Epidemiology and Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10146351 |
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