The Health Challenges and Health-Seeking Behaviors of Female Burmese Labor Migrants in Khon Kaen, Thailand: A Focus on Self-Medication and Reproductive Health Needs

Objective: To identify the expressed health problems, health-seeking behaviors, conditions and products for self-medication, reproductive health needs and other expressed health needs of female Burmese labor migrants in Khon Kaen, Thailand.Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty female Burmese labor migrants in Khon Kaen were recruited using the snowball technique. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews conducted in Burmese, using a self-developed semi-structured questionnaire. Content analysis was used for data interpretation.Results: The most commonly reported health problems were muscle pain from work, fatigue, stress, and difficulty sleeping. Sleep issues were often linked to worries about their families in Myanmar. Despite having health insurance, participants preferred self-medication due to perceptions that their symptoms did not require medical treatment and concerns about wage deductions for hospital visits. Products used for self-treatment included analgesic balms and Yachud (a pre-packed combination of medicines) for muscle pain, inhalers, and herbal instant coffee for fatigue and stress, and meditation for sleep issues. Medicines were typically purchased from local market stands. While 96 participants used birth control pills, they were uncomfortable discussing reproductive health with strangers or in public. They found accessing healthcare and self-care medicine in Thailand easy and expressed no other health needs.Conclusion: The use of culturally familiar medicines from Myanmar among migrant workers poses legal and health challenges. Interventions to ensure access to safe, culturally sensitive healthcare options that comply with Thai health regulations should be sought.