
Speakers: Angelica Mercedes Lozano Rivera, Marlene Magallanes Corimanya & Lalescka Araceli Soria Gonzales
Facilitator: Marcela Mendoza
Introduccion: La anticoncepción postaborto es vital para reducir embarazos no deseados y prevenir la mortalidad materna.
Objetivo: Determinar si la nacionalidad y la edad están asociadas con el uso de anticonceptivos prescritos en el postaborto, tras un seguimiento de seis meses.
Metodos: Se realizaun estudio observacional analitico con mujeres que aceptaron un mettodo anticonceptivo inmediatamente despues de un aborto en un hospital publico peruano (N = 399). De ellas, se contactó telefónicamente a 175 participantes seis meses después.
Resultados: Solo el 39,42% de las mujeres mantuvo el uso del método anticonceptivo. Se hallo una asociacion significativa entre la edad (p = 0,049) y la nacionalidad venezolana (p = 0,043) con el uso de metodos anticonceptivos seis meses despues del aborto.
Conclusion: Seis meses después del alta hospitalaria, se observa una asociación entre el uso de métodos anticonceptivos postaborto y las variables edad y nacionalidad.
Introduction: Post-abortion contraception is vital to reduce unwanted pregnancies and prevent maternal mortality.
Objective: To determine whether nationality and age are associated with the use of prescribed contraceptives in the post-abortion period, after a six-month follow-up.
Methods: An analytical observational study was conducted with women who accepted a contraceptive method immediately after an abortion in a Peruvian public hospital (N = 399). Of these, 175 participants were contacted by telephone six months later.
Results: Only 39.42% of the women continued using the contraceptive method. A significant association was found between age (p = 0.049) and Venezuelan nationality (p = 0.043) with the use of contraceptive methods six months after the abortion.
Conclusion: Six months after hospital discharge, an association was observed between the use of post-abortion contraceptive methods and the variables age and nationality.
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Speaker: Linda Sweet
Facilitator: Red Miller
Background: A migrant is a person who moves from one place to another, especially to find work or better living conditions. Some migrants come from refugee backgrounds with well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion. From 2019 to 2021, over 47% of women who accessed maternity care through Western Health were born in a country other than Australia, with over 60 languages identified as their first language.
Aim: To explore the culturally specific maternity care experiences of migrant women and to consider ways to improve care.
Methods: Four focus group discussions were conducted with women of three language groups: Oromo, Dinka, and Arabic. The focus groups were co facilitated by the research team and a bi-cultural worker, with an interpreter in attendance. Discussions were audio recorded, professionally transcribed and thematically analysed.
Results: Thirty-one women participated. All had at least one pregnancy in Australia. Key themes included communication (and miscommunication), cultural misconceptions, racism, loss of culture, and desire for continuity of care. All the women found maternity care in Australia generally satisfying and respectful; however, they offered some tangible ideas for improvement.
Discussion: Addressing cultural misconceptions and combating racism within healthcare settings is imperative to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for migrant women. Effective communication, accommodating linguistic diversity, and cultural nuances need to be prioritised. This includes providing interpreter services when needed and employing culturally competent staff who understand the traditions, beliefs, and practices of diverse communities.

Speaker: Sarah Esegbona-Adeigbe
Facilitator: Constance Odonkor
A woman is more likely to die in the UK during pregnancy if she is Black, a recent migrant and has had inadequate pregnancy care. Cultural influences on reduced attendance for pregnancy care has been connected to Black migrant maternal deaths for twenty years. My study’s findings show that migrant Black women are not asked about their culture when attending for pregnancy care and they either choose to hide or reveal their culture.
A persons’ culture is colourful and complex, an aura that is visible and invisible. The seen and unseen nature of culture makes it difficult to decipher an individuals needs, as culture may be practised differently depending on the environment and wider society.
Culture may influence all aspects of a persons’ life including their health seeking behaviour and healthcare decisions. The missed opportunity to explore migrant womens’ cultural needs during pregnancy means that important aspects of their health needs are unexplored and therefore, not included in their pregnancy care provision.

Speakers: Rachael Ame Maima and Linda Deys
Facilitator: Caroline Maringa/Nyambura
Maternal and newborn mortality rates in Papua New Guinea are among the highest in the world, with around 170 deaths for every 100, 000 women and 20 neonatal deaths per 1000 live births each year. The causes for many of these deaths are preventable or treatable when women have equal access to safe, quality health care. Lack of midwives and resources increases the impact for remote communities but also for those living in cities such as Port Moresby.
In April 2024 the fourth group of the PNG Midwifery Leadership Buddy Project met in Port Moresby with 14 PNG and 7 Australian midwifery mentors, aiming to improve maternal and newborn outcomes in PNG. This twinning program of the PNG Midwifery Society and the Australian College of Midwives is funded by Rotary and informed by the ICM Member Association Capacity Assessment Tool (MACAT). PNG buddies identified quality improvement projects within their workplaces, with the Australian midwives supporting the development of leadership and advocacy skills for the projects to be completed.
This presentation will introduce one of the 2024 buddy relationships and project which aimed to increase the known haemoglobin level of women accessing antenatal care in a clinic in Port Moresby. It will describe the importance of a known Hb and demonstrate the processes, challenges, successes and setbacks experienced and highlight the importance of resilience and patience. It will emphasise how professional midwifery connections and mentorship can promote leadership, improve maternity outcomes, and strengthen the role of midwives across countries.

