In “SRH in Palestine: A Medical Student’s Experience in Health Education,” Duha Shelah, a medical student at An-Najah National University, explains the strengths and weakness in sexual reproductive health care in Palestine. Shelah has worked as a volunteer health educator for the Palestinian medical Relief Society since 2020, working with communities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Surprisingly, the majority of Palestinian women receive adequate antenatal care and had a skilled health staff at livebirths. However, a lot of the research on Palestinian reproductive and sexual health is incomplete, especially on menopause, preconception, and psychosocial services. Shelah found that the Israeli involvement in Occupied Palestinian Territories, and the imposition of closures and military checkpoints, restricts access to medical facilities. Therefore, sexual and reproductive health is heavily impacted by times of heightened violence, such as the 2014 bombing of the Gaza strip. Moreover, between 1999 and 2002, home births grew by over 20% due to increased Israeli military presence. Shelah argues that one cannot discuss sexual and reproductive health in Palestine without addressing the root causes of violence and strife with the Israeli government.
Photo from: In-Training
Resources: