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Justice in Sexual and Reproductive Health: An Intersectional Approach
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Justice in Sexual and Reproductive Health: An Intersectional Approach

A topical collection in Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760). This collection belongs to the section "Social Stratification and Inequality".

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Editors

Dr. Violeta Alarcão

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor
1. Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia, Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, Avenida das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
2. Instituto de Saúde Ambiental (ISAMB), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: health inequalities; social determinants of health; sexual and reproductive health and rights; life-course and well-being; social justice
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Sónia Cardoso Pintassilgo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ISCTE - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Centro de Investigação e Estudos de Sociologia, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: demography; sociology of population; sociology of birth and motherhood
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Pedro Candeias

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Saúde Ambiental (ISAMB), Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Egas Moniz, 1649-028 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: international migration and ethnic minorities

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

Peoples’ sexual and reproductive health is influenced by different factors and at multiple levels. Nevertheless, scientific evidence regarding the social, cultural and structural factors influencing sexual and reproductive health within an intersectional approach to gender, age, class, and race/ethnicity is still missing. The examination of various social interactions at the local, national and global levels are of extreme importance to understand continuity and change in sexual and reproductive health and rights frames. Ensuring the needs, experiences and expectations of most marginalized groups are taken into consideration is one way of contributing to address disparities in realizing gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights, leaving no one behind. Papers are expected to contribute to the growing body of knowledge based on the frameworks of justice and equity, and intersectionality, and enable us to envision a society in which power and privileges are redistributed. We encourage new ways of thinking about how sexual and reproductive health link with gender, age, class, nationality, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, mental or physical ability, or other status or modes of social belonging. We welcome original and review articles based on a comprehensive systematic search of the literature from different research fields that engage these issues based on empirical studies and/or theoretical analysis. We invite papers that integrate intersectionality and power relations to reveal meaningful distinctions and similarities to overcome discriminations and enable all people to fully enjoy their sexual and reproductive rights.

Dr. Violeta Alarcão
Dr. Sónia Cardoso Pintassilgo
Dr. Pedro Candeias
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • health equity
  • gender equality
  • intersectionality
  • sexual and reproductive health and rights

Published Papers (8 papers)

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2025

Jump to: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

13 pages, 290 KiB  
Protocol
Intersectionality and Birth in Latin America: A Research Protocol on Maternal Health of Indigenous and Afro-Descendant Women in La Guajira, Colombia
by Mariana Anginho Évora
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(1), 15; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14010015 - 3 Jan 2025
Viewed by 814
Abstract
This article presents a research protocol focusing on the maternal health of Indigenous wayuu and Afro-descendant women in the region of La Guajira, Colombia. Following a decolonial approach and expecting the project to contribute to the field of sociology of birth, in this [...] Read more.
This article presents a research protocol focusing on the maternal health of Indigenous wayuu and Afro-descendant women in the region of La Guajira, Colombia. Following a decolonial approach and expecting the project to contribute to the field of sociology of birth, in this paper I propose to discuss the mobilized literature, methodologies, and ethical concerns critically and reflectively. This research aims to understand how the various paradigms of birth interact in contemporary times and how these interactions affect women’s experiences and expectations; to contribute to knowledge about birth and maternity among the Indigenous and Afro-descendant people of Colombia; and to evaluate existing maternal health indicators while proposing new ones that respond to the criteria and needs of the population under study. An ethnography and narrative interviews will be conducted with Indigenous wayuu and Afro-descendant women and health professionals in La Guajira, a department of Northern Colombia. Additionally, statistical birth analysis using data available from the National Statistical System of Colombia will be implemented. The results will be combined, co-created with study participants, and disseminated to a variety of audiences. Full article

2024

Jump to: 2025, 2023, 2022, 2021

10 pages, 1669 KiB  
Article
“To Change the World, We Must First Change the Way the Babies Are Being Born”: Childbirth Activism in Europe
by Dulce Morgado Neves
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(9), 490; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13090490 - 15 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1578
Abstract
(1) Background: “To change the world, we must first change the way the babies are being born”, said Michel Odent, the famous French obstetrician and pioneer of the “natural birth” movement. This quotable phrase has been widespread in activism campaigns, and it refers [...] Read more.
(1) Background: “To change the world, we must first change the way the babies are being born”, said Michel Odent, the famous French obstetrician and pioneer of the “natural birth” movement. This quotable phrase has been widespread in activism campaigns, and it refers to a project for social change that goes beyond birth. Conceiving childbirth in the broader social context, it is not surprising that this emblematic quote inspires emancipatory struggles around birth. This paper results from a study of childbirth activism in different European contexts, where the author explores the emergence and modes of action of social movements advocating for the humanization of childbirth and women’s rights in pregnancy and childbirth. (2) Methods: Starting from the analysis of the main characteristics of childbirth activism, in this paper the author briefly analyzes the cases of organizations from Portugal, Spain and the Netherlands, as well as a campaign promoted by the European Network of Childbirth Associations (ENCA). The author mobilizes empirical data resulting from a triangulation approach, essentially based on documentary analysis, complemented by conversations and participant observation in different settings. (3) Results: Preliminary results show how childbirth activism is contributing to the construction of alternative conceptions of birth, challenging established paradigms. (4) Conclusion: In its differences and similarities, childbirth activism assumes distinct features, but it also has the ability to adapt and promote changes, depending on the specificities of the contexts where it operates. Full article
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2023

Jump to: 2025, 2024, 2022, 2021

14 pages, 1641 KiB  
Article
Home Birth in Portugal—A Comprehensive Analysis Based on Official Statistical Data
by Sónia Pintassilgo, Mário J. D. S. Santos, Inês Trindade and Dulce Morgado Neves
Soc. Sci. 2023, 12(6), 314; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci12060314 - 23 May 2023
Viewed by 4320
Abstract
To date, there are no comprehensive analyses of the official data on home births in Portugal that consider other determinants beyond place of birth, such as the conditions in which births occur or the mothers’ social profiles. The aims of this article were: [...] Read more.
To date, there are no comprehensive analyses of the official data on home births in Portugal that consider other determinants beyond place of birth, such as the conditions in which births occur or the mothers’ social profiles. The aims of this article were: (1) to describe the characteristics of childbirth in Portugal according to the place of birth, and (2) to analyse the association between home birth assistance and perinatal, neonatal, and infant mortality rates. We performed a descriptive, correlational analysis of the official datasets of live births in Portugal (census-based) produced by the National Institute of Statistics. In 2020, home births had more similarities with hospital births than to births occurring in any “other place”. Furthermore, considering the 1995–2020 timeframe, home births with specialised assistance were negatively correlated with perinatal, neonatal, and infant mortality, and home births with non-specialised professional assistance or those that were unassisted showed a positive correlation with these mortality rates. Home births are heterogenous, and merely referencing the place of birth does not provide enough information. Although it recommended further investigation, this analysis pointed to the need to assure a specific, systematic evaluation of the quality of care in home births that allows for the consistent assessment and improvement of its safety. Full article
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2022

Jump to: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2021

15 pages, 332 KiB  
Article
Exploring Intersectional Variations in Sexual Pleasure, Sexual Autonomy, and Important Correlates
by Violeta Alarcão, Miodraga Stefanovska-Petkovska, Pedro Candeias and Patrícia M. Pascoal
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(11), 496; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11110496 - 26 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3285
Abstract
Research suggests that pressure to meet gender norms can limit social behaviors and ultimately promote poor health outcomes, such as disparities in decreased sexual pleasure, which are considered a central component of human rights and well-being. Previous studies have shown that sexual pleasure [...] Read more.
Research suggests that pressure to meet gender norms can limit social behaviors and ultimately promote poor health outcomes, such as disparities in decreased sexual pleasure, which are considered a central component of human rights and well-being. Previous studies have shown that sexual pleasure and sexual autonomy are gender-related, but little is known about these indicators in diverse populations. This study used data from a probabilistic sample of Cape Verdean immigrant (n = 127) and Portuguese native (n = 133) women and men who were in an intimate relationship enrolled in the FEMINA (Fertility, Migration and Acculturation) project to explore intersectional variations in sexual pleasure, sexual satisfaction, and distress considering their interplay with sexual autonomy and social representations regarding sexuality. For all participants and especially among men, sex is a very important part of life. Sexual autonomy was positively associated with sexual pleasure among Cape Verdean and Portuguese women and Portuguese men. Sexual distress was negatively associated with sexual pleasure among women, especially Cape Verdean women who reported higher sexual distress. This small-scale study is an example of an intersectional approach to sexual health and rights. Full article
16 pages, 332 KiB  
Article
Becoming a Migrant Mother: An Intersectional Approach to the Narratives of Cape Verdean Women in Portugal
by Júlia Neves
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(2), 55; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11020055 - 29 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4216
Abstract
Becoming a mother in the context of migration configures itself as a dynamic process of identity constitution that raises questions about citizenship, belonging, and migration policies. Furthermore, it is a process that involves a new set of maternal positions and practices that are [...] Read more.
Becoming a mother in the context of migration configures itself as a dynamic process of identity constitution that raises questions about citizenship, belonging, and migration policies. Furthermore, it is a process that involves a new set of maternal positions and practices that are composed through possibly conflicting cultural values. Based on the occurrence of unplanned pregnancies, this study sought to analyze the dimensions crossed by this event through an intersectional perspective of the narratives of Cape Verdean immigrant women who had children in Portugal, focusing on gender, migration, race/ethnicity. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine women, born in Cape Verde and residing in Greater Lisbon, through the Biographic-Narrative Interpretative Method (BNIM), which enabled an approach to the different dimensions that intersect in life stories of becoming an immigrant mother. Thematic analysis was chosen as an analytical tool, and the framework provided by intersectionality allows us to see the multiple identities that shape the processes of becoming a migrant mother. The results brought to light themes and issues that overlap and make motherhood more complex in the context of migration, highlighting and reinforcing the conditions of inequality. Full article
11 pages, 251 KiB  
Article
On Regret: A Sociological Intersectional Approach
by Maria Madalena d’Avelar
Soc. Sci. 2022, 11(2), 50; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci11020050 - 28 Jan 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4877
Abstract
Regret is more than just an individual cognitive and emotional phenomenon, and it can, and should, be seen as social and cultural as well. Because of this, regret can tell us a lot, both about someone’s biography, and about the society and culture [...] Read more.
Regret is more than just an individual cognitive and emotional phenomenon, and it can, and should, be seen as social and cultural as well. Because of this, regret can tell us a lot, both about someone’s biography, and about the society and culture that shape it. In this brief reflection, the aim is to look at regret as a phenomenon worthy of sociological focus. We focus on three main ways in which regret can be understood as a sociological object: regret as a part of someone’s biography, regret as something that is culturally shaped, and regret as a part of collective memory. We also explore the potentialities of using an intersectional framework to analyze regret in its different forms. Full article

2021

Jump to: 2025, 2024, 2023, 2022

12 pages, 2025 KiB  
Article
A Manifest against the Homogenisation of Childbirth Experiences: Preserving Subjectiveness in a Large Dataset of the «Babies Born Better» Survey
by Mário J. D. S. Santos and Dulce Morgado Neves
Soc. Sci. 2021, 10(10), 388; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10100388 - 13 Oct 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3591
Abstract
The Babies Born Better international project aimed at surveying women’s experience in childbirth, privileging the qualitative description of this experience. It was translated into several languages and, in each country, there were different strategies for data analysis. However, analysing a qualitative dataset of [...] Read more.
The Babies Born Better international project aimed at surveying women’s experience in childbirth, privileging the qualitative description of this experience. It was translated into several languages and, in each country, there were different strategies for data analysis. However, analysing a qualitative dataset of this dimension, without completely transforming qualitative into quantitative data, poses practical challenges to researchers. Thus, in this article, we aim to explore the potential of using a qualitative data analysis software to avoid homogenising women’s experiences and preserve the subjectivity of responses in the analysis of open-ended questions of the B3 survey. We focused on the Portuguese version of the survey, reporting a thematic, computer assisted qualitative data analysis of 1348 responses. The software acted as a mediator of the researchers’ analysis and interpretation, beyond classical content analysis, without converting qualitative into quantitative data through plain word count. Exploring new possibilities of interpreting not only the meaning, but the relations between categories, may expand the scope of qualitative data analysis. However, we argue that the use of a software should not be overvalued, as such strategy should always remain as subsidiary to the researcher’s subjective interpretation of data. Full article
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29 pages, 753 KiB  
Review
Intersections of Immigration and Sexual/Reproductive Health: An Umbrella Literature Review with a Focus on Health Equity
by Violeta Alarcão, Miodraga Stefanovska-Petkovska, Ana Virgolino, Osvaldo Santos and Andreia Costa
Soc. Sci. 2021, 10(2), 63; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci10020063 - 9 Feb 2021
Cited by 24 | Viewed by 9955
Abstract
Identifying the opportunities and barriers of promoting and fulfilling the sexual health rights of migrants remains a challenge that requires systematic assessment. Such an assessment would include estimating the influence of acculturation processes on sexual and reproductive health, and mapping intersectional inequities that [...] Read more.
Identifying the opportunities and barriers of promoting and fulfilling the sexual health rights of migrants remains a challenge that requires systematic assessment. Such an assessment would include estimating the influence of acculturation processes on sexual and reproductive health, and mapping intersectional inequities that influence migrants’ sexual and reproductive health in comparison with the native population. The aim of this research was to locate, select, and critically assess/summarize scientific evidence regarding the social, cultural, and structural factors influencing migrants’ sexual and reproductive health outcomes in comparison with native population. An umbrella review of systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses, following preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) standards was undertaken. Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched from their start date until June 2019. The quality of the included articles was determined using the assessment of multiple systematic reviews tool (AMSTAR 2). From the 36 selected studies, only 12 compared migrant with native populations. Overall, the findings indicated that migrants tend to underuse maternal health services and have an increased risk of poor sexual and reproductive health outcomes. Specific intersectional inequities were identified and discussed. Full article
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