Language Barriers and Family Planning: An Integrative Review.

This article reviews the impact of language barriers on family planning outcomes in the United States, using an intersectional feminist framework to analyze 17 studies involving diverse populations with low English proficiency (LEP). Findings indicate that language barriers are linked to reduced access to family planning education and services, lower-quality care, and strained patient-provider relationships, often compounded by intersecting factors such as race, immigration status, gender norms, and socioeconomic challenges. The review highlights that interpreter use alone is insufficient to ensure equitable care; instead, culturally and linguistically concordant providers, improved communication strategies, and structural changes are needed to support patient autonomy and trust. It also identifies significant gaps in research on emergency contraception, abortion, vasectomy services, and non-Spanish-speaking or Deaf communities, calling for future studies that incorporate intersectional methodologies. The article emphasizes the critical role of nurses in fostering culturally sensitive, trauma-informed, and linguistically accessible family planning care.