“No Papers. No Doctor”: A Qualitative Study of Access to Maternity Care Services for Undocumented Immigrant Women in Denmark

Julia Kadin Funge, Mathilde Christine Boye, Helle Johnsen and Marie Nørredam
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Julia Kadin Funge: Midwifery Department, University College of Copenhagen, Sigurdsgade 26, 2200 København N, Denmark
Mathilde Christine Boye: Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 København K, Denmark
Helle Johnsen: Midwifery Department, University College of Copenhagen, Sigurdsgade 26, 2200 København N, Denmark
Marie Nørredam: Danish Research Centre for Migration, Ethnicity and Health, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353 København K, Denmark

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-14

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to explore undocumented immigrant women’s experiences of, as well as their access to, maternity care services during pregnancy in Denmark. Recruiting through the two branches of a non-governmental organization (NGO)-driven health clinic in Denmark, we conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with undocumented immigrant women in Denmark from January 2018 to January 2019. The undocumented immigrant women experienced barriers such as fear of deportation, concerns about payment for services, and uncertainties about rules for access. Many of them described depending on NGO-driven initiatives to access maternity care services and found these as providing a safe environment for care. Our findings contribute insights towards understanding the health behavior of undocumented immigrant women and highlight the need for inclusive care to safeguard the health of the women and their children.

Keywords: maternity care; utilization of maternity care; pregnancy; childbirth; undocumented immigrant (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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