A research theses submitted to the department of health Education and behavioral sciences, college of public health and Medical sciences, jimma university; in partial fulfillment for the Requirement of masters of public health (mph) in health education And promotion

Abstract

Background: Pregnancy is a very vulnerable time in a woman‘s life which may be understood as a part of a woman's transition to motherhood as ‗being with child‘, a paradox of joy and suffering. Thus, during a period of transition when interpersonal and emotional support as well as time for personal reflection and planning are most needed, pregnant women who are homeless find themselves with little control over their environment, emotionally isolated, and unsure of what interpersonal support will be available. Objective: To explore contextual insights about lived experiencesof pregnancy among homeless women. Methods: Adescriptive phenomenological approachwas usedto describe the experiences of pregnancy. The study was conducted in Hawassa town Southern Ethiopiawhereparticipants were recruited from main road sides and around Churches.To select the participants from these sites,mixed type of Purposive sampling(criterion and snow-ball) was used.Data was collected using face to face in-depth interview and non-participant observation.Following making sense out of all data by reading the data repeatedly, the breakdownof the data into meaningful units wasdone by using ATLAS.ti computer software.Following thedevelopment of thematic areas of the study,the entire datawere rearranged anda rich and exhaustive description of the lived experiences waswritten. Result: Eleven homeless women were participated from which two were currently pregnant in their third trimester.The central theme founded in this study was pregnancy experience of homeless women. Incident to homelessness, beyond the control circumstances, challenges of pregnancy and hardship versus changing catalyst were the four themes‘ that are emerged in the data. Conclusion& Recommendation: the study confirmed thatPregnancy was an emotional experience for homeless women that offered painful recollections of pregnancy experiences for which they were not prepared physically, emotionally or economically. So,free access to sexual health advice and contraception counseling should be given for homeless at times and locations that are accessible to them.