Female Migrants’ Vulnerability to RTIs/STIs and Treatment Seeking Behaviour

Migrants are in some aspects regarded as more vulnerable to ill health than others (Quinn, 1994). Studies have shown that while addressing their vulnerability, it is important to make improvements in health and welfare not only for the migrants but also for the receiving society (De Hann, 1999; Gushulak and MacPherson, 2000). It is hence important to study what makes migrants vulnerable to ill health. Assessment of vulnerability to RTIs/STIs among married migrants based on the factors that increases their chances of having RTIs/STIs reveal that out of 513 married migrants, 22 percent are highly vulnerable, in addition to 19 percent of them have even suffered from any of the symptoms of RTIs/STIs. There is also a significant difference in vulnerability to RTIs/STIs between intra-state and inter-state married migrants. Regarding after effect of such problems to those migrants who have ever suffered from it, findings reveals that considerable percentage of female migrants reported that their household work, their sexual life, and their marital life to be affected because of the symptoms of RTIs/STIs. Thus, the findings suggest that not only female migrants who have symptoms of RTIs/STIs have burden on their physical health but other aspects of their life are also affected.