Fertility and Reproductive Health: A Qualitative Study of Homeless Migrants in Delhi

Abstract

Homelessness gives rise to a diverse kind of vulnerability which affect different sections of the population distinctly. Scholars have reported that the homeless are more prone to health issues than the general population. This article focuses on the reproductive health and fertility outcomes of two homeless ethnic populations in Delhi, who were migrants and belonged to scheduled caste groups. It was found that their culture played an important role in their reproductive decisions and health service-seeking behavior. The results showed that the participants were vulnerable due to gaps in Antenatal Care-seeking behavior, lack of support during admission and in the intrapartum phase, and traditional practice of home deliveries. It was observed that homelessness left fewer choices of space for women to deliver their children, especially in the case of the expectant women who either wanted to avoid institutional delivery or missed the window to go back to their native homes. Findings from the research indicate that there is an urgent need to understand and address the requirements of women in the homeless population and integrate them into the mainstream health system through infrastructural and support services.