Transnational sexual and reproductive healthcare among Asian immigrant women in the US
Abortion and contraception
Awarded 2025
Emerging Scholars in Family Planning
Tenzin Khando, MPH
University of California, Los Angeles
$7,500

This project investigates how Asian immigrant women in the U.S. navigate transnational sexual and reproductive healthcare (SRH), aiming to develop a conceptual framework grounded in transnational feminist and intersectional perspectives. Despite the rapid growth of Asian immigrant populations in the U.S., their SRH needs remain understudied, and existing research often treats them as monolithic group. Structural barriers such as exclusion from Medicaid, immigration-related fears, language barriers, and provider bias frequently limit access to domestic SRH care, pushing some women to rely on care across borders. Transnational care strategies include consulting overseas providers, using traditional medicine, seeking advice from family abroad, and engaging in remote networks via digital platforms. This study uses qualitative data from 62 life history interviews (LHIs) with Chinese, Indian, Korean and Filipino immigrant women in Los Angeles and Atlanta, collected through the NIH-funded BRAVE study. Through thematic analysis, the project explores how participants define and experience transnational SRH care, the factors shaping their decisions, and how these vary by ethnicity and immigration status. The analysis is structured around five aims: (1) develop a preliminary framework, (2) examine perceptions and experiences, (3) analyze determinants of care-seeking, (4) conduct comparative analysis across ethnic/legal identities, and (5) revise the framework based on findings. This research fills a critical gap in public health and migration studies by centering the voices of Asian immigrant women. Findings will inform culturally responsive healthcare practices, immigrant-centered policy, and community-based interventions, while advancing theoretical understanding of reproductive justice in transnational context.