Home Institution

Washington University in St. Louis

Publication Date

Spring 2016

Program Name

Switzerland: Global Health and Development Policy

Abstract

The Swiss healthcare system has experienced a significant influx of vulnerable migrants over the past few years. This presents a challenge to providers and policy makers to account for and provide aid to these non-­‐ Swiss citizens, such as undocumented migrants (UDM), whose status and circumstances may impede their access to healthcare. Along with this, various cultural barriers may present further challenges to access to the health system. This paper explores UDM access to health through the lens of sexual healthcare and family planning. In examining sexual health, the issues of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS, and sexual violence were chosen to provide a general framework of the issue. The paper also evaluates what family planning services are accessible to UDM in examining the issues of contraception and abortions. The barriers that UDM face in accessing these sexual healthcare and family planning services in Switzerland were studied and the health system’s responses in combatting these barriers to care are explored and evaluated. The study concludes in presenting a series of potential future actions to further improve UDM access to sexual healthcare and family planning services as well as the greater health system in Switzerland.

Disciplines

Diseases | Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence | Family, Life Course, and Society | Health Policy | Immigration Law

Download

Share

Article Location

 
COinS