Poverty and inequality in access to sexual and reproductive health care for Peruvian women

Abstract

Objective: To determine the influence of poverty on sociogeographic inequality
in the access to sexual and reproductive health of Peruvian women. Methods: An
observational, analytical and ecological study with aggregate data corresponding to
Metropolitan Lima, Constitutional Province of Callao and 24 departments of Peru
registered for the year 2021 by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics
of Peru. The analysis included correlation tests, simple linear regression and the
calculation of Kuznets indices, inequality concentration index (ICI) and slope inequality
index (SII). Results: The proportion of women not using modern contraceptive
methods was associated with the proportion of population in monetary poverty
(r=0.448; p=0.022) with an absolute inequality gap of 6.92% and relative inequality
gap of 1.16 (ICI =0.034; SII=7.875). The proportion of pregnant women without
prenatal care by qualified health personnel and the proportion of deliveries without
assistance from skilled health workers were associated with the proportion of the
population in nonmonetary poverty. The absolute and relative inequality gaps
were 5.29% and 8.90 (ICI=0.526; SII=5.270) for prenatal care, and 11.33% and 11.03
(ICI=0.453; SII=12,440) for delivery care. Conclusions: Non-monetary poverty would
explain the inequality gaps observed in the proportion of pregnant women without
prenatal care by qualified health personnel and the proportion of deliveries without
the assistance of skilled health personnel in Peruvian women.