User:Gabelayug/Immigrant health care in the United States

Women
Studies have found that immigrant men demonstrate greater health outcomes than immigrant women; gendered health disparities are observed to be greater among immigrant populations than U.S. citizens. Whether an immigrant woman is legally document or not, there are many constituents in laws that prevent immigrant women from qualifying for health insurance that can intercept them from getting standard medical services and causing the negative outcomes.^5

Immigrant women who become ill in the United States face multiple levels of marginalization from their immigration status, health status, and gender status. In a survey by Carol Pavlish, Sahra Noor, and Joan Brandt, Somali women in Minnesota reported encountering obstacles with unfamiliar healthcare systems, inefficiencies of diagnosis and treatment processes, and ineffective communication with medical professionals. Religious beliefs and practices of immigrant women may also play a role on the medical decisions of immigrant women and their families which can affect their health.^6 There are instances when health care professionals might think that a mother or a woman is well-rounded on personal health, which may lead to the lack of giving supplemental or further information to the patient when there is a possibility that many immigrant women are not educated enough on medicine.^6 Scientific or medical myths may also influence the opinions of immigrant women, mothers in particular, that may be the cause of their decisions regarding health that can lead to mistreatment or undiagnosed illnesses.^6 Some immigrant women may find themselves struggling to balance their health with their culture and traditions that may dictate what they want to decide for their health, while also learning American health culture.^6

Compared to women born in the United States, immigrant women do not have the same access to health care services and insurances.^5 Without these, this puts immigrant women at a higher risk for health complications and illnesses, particularly in the area of sexual and reproductive health.^5 Whether immigrant women have medical insurance or not, immigrant women are reluctant to seek help because some might fear that it may negatively affect their immigration status.^5 Immigrant women are less likely to get mammograms, Pap tests, and other sexual and reproductive health services. ^5 There are about one in five immigrant women who have medical insurance but do not utilize it.^5 Statistical data from Kaiser Family Foundation and National Immigration Law Center in 2018 shows that 34 states have permit lawfully residing immigrant children without 5-year wait (Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program/CHIP), 25 states permit lawfully residing pregnant women without 5-year wait (Medicaid or CHIP), and 16 states permit pregnant women regardless of status (CHIP).^5 Current research also indicates that one's immigration status in the United States affects all aspects of sexual and reproductive health of a woman.^5

Immigrant women who endure intimate partner violence (IPV) may encounter difficulties in obtaining medical help. In a focus group by Heidi Bauer and her colleagues, abused Asian and Latina immigrant women expressed hesitance to seek health care due to linguistic obstructions, lack of kinship and social networks, and fear of jeopardizing their relationship or their children's safety. Immigrants coming from English-speaking countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, or Australia may face less issues in the health care system because the language barrier is not as wide compared to countries whose primary language is not English.^6

Many studies on immigrant women in the United States conclude that advanced research and studies are needed to be done to obtain more statistical data on immigrant women's health. The missing substantial evidence can be linked to immigrant women's reluctance to finding health care and the insufficient and unavailable services that are difficult to acquire. Without evidence and statistical data, it is difficult to track and label the reasons for the higher health complications of immigrant women compared to women born in the United States.^5