Reproductive justice for unhoused women: An integrative review of the literature

J Community Psychol. 2023 Jul;51(5):1935-1960. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22980. Epub 2022 Dec 16.

Abstract

This review examines the reproductive health experiences of unhoused women and youth. Guided by the reproductive justice framework, this review examines barriers to accessing contraception, medical abortion, and prenatal care while homeless. Twenty-one articles were identified through keyword searches in Google Scholar, Ebscohost Academic Search Premier, and PsycINFO. In included articles, barriers were identified at the individual, relational, and contextual levels. Findings from this scoping review illustrate the need to examine multiple levels of analysis when seeking to improve access to family planning services for individuals experiencing homelessness. Included literature suggests an overabundance of research documenting barriers to contraceptive care relative to the literature examining abortion and prenatal care experiences and a scarcity of research examining barriers to reproductive justice among unhoused individuals who do not identify as women.

Keywords: contraception; homelessness; prenatal care; unhoused women.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Contraception
  • Family Planning Services
  • Female
  • Health Services Accessibility*
  • Humans
  • Ill-Housed Persons*
  • Pregnancy
  • Reproductive Health