Hear Our Voices: Experiences of Family Planning Services by Tongan Women in South Auckland, New Zealand
Journal Title: Nursing & Healthcare International Journal - Year 2022, Vol 6, Issue 1
Abstract
Access to family planning services have been widely accepted worldwide as a basic human right. However, findings from a study that involved 12 Tongan females in South Auckland, New Zealand reported that Pacific women were less likely to use available family planning services due to cultural taboo and sensitive reasons. This becomes a breach of basic human rights especially as Pacific women (including Tongan) have one of the highest rates of unplanned pregnancy in New Zealand. The purpose of this article is to present the key findings from a study that was undertaken in 2015 as part of the primary author’s Masters in Public Health degree from the University of Auckland. The key findings from the study indicated the complex and multifaceted barriers to accessing family planning due to cultural and social factors including embarrassment, stigma, taboo subjects, anga faka Tonga and inter-generational conflict. Differences in cultural views and expectations regarding pre-marital sex and abstinence between the West and anga faka Tonga points towards the need for improved awareness of family planning services irrespective of marital status. Improving communication between daughters and their mothers (or trusted female figures within the family) and providing culturally safe services were identified as key strategies to improving access to family planning services.
Authors and Affiliations
Malungahu GM, Ofanoa M* and Ofanoa S
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP747028
- DOI 10.23880/nhij-16000257
- Views 3
- Downloads 0
Utilization of Maternal Health Services: A Case Study of South Sudan Juba Teaching Hospital
Introduction: Maternal health service (MHS) is a set of services related to maternity health care. These health services cause a serious concern worldwide. Furthermore, MHS incorporates antenatal care, delivery care and...
The Impact of Applying Blockchain Technology on the Health Industry Especially in the Field of Health Oriented Products
Nowadays, the health industry is one of the largest industries in the world, which includes more than 10% of gross domestic product in developed countries. Health industry consists of patient information management subs...
Core Professional and Personal Values of Nurses about Nursing in Erbil City Hospitals: A Profession, Not Just Career
Background and objective: Nursing is a caring profession. Caring encompasses empathy for and connection with people. Teaching and role-modeling caring is a nursing curriculum challenge. Caring is best demonstrated by a...
A Descriptive Survey Regarding Impact of Lockdown on School Going Children
Introduction: In India, lockdown for COVID-19 prevention started from March 25th 2020, causing severe disruption to the normal life. All nations’ scientists are still trying to find a solution for it. Beating the virus...
Usage of Internet for Academic Purposes on University Students’ Achievement: A Literature Review
The aim of this literature review was to evaluate the effectiveness of internet usage for academic purposes among healthrelated undergraduate students from various courses. This paper has highlighted for understanding mo...