Resum
Immigrants from the Dominican Republic have grown in number and currently make up
a substantial portion of New York City’s population. In order to better understand the
cultural context of Dominican women’s sexual and reproductive health attitudes and
practices, focus groups were conducted with Dominican women living in New York City
as well as with women living in the Dominican Republic. Analysis found that women in
the USA had more economic independence and a greater sense of freedom in regards to
sexuality than women in the Dominican Republic. However, those in New York City
also hoped to maintain their cultural identity in many ways. Women associated the
prevalence of gender-based violence with male unemployment and alcohol abuse.
Womenin both locales reported limited condom use and saw contraception as a woman’s
responsibility. Many barriers to using the healthcare system were identified and, in many
cases, there exists a preference for herbal treatments and folk remedies. This study
provided many important insights that have the potential to increase the quality of sexual
and reproductive health care for Dominican women.