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Family Planning for Women and Girls with Disabilities

Dr FRASER, Erika
CORBY, Nick
MEANEY-DAVIS, Jessie
2021

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This is an updated evidence review looking at the evidence on factors affecting access to and uptake of family planning for women and girls with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries and the evidence on good practice on increasing full free and informed contraceptive choice for women and girls with disabilities.

 

Query:

1) What is the evidence on factors affecting access to and uptake of family planning for women and girls with disabilities in low and middle income countries, highlighting examples from FP2020 commitment-making countries?

2) What is the evidence on good practice on increasing full free and informed contraceptive choice for women and girls with disabilities – from the same countries or elsewhere? 

Family planning for women and girls with disabilities

FRASER, Erika
CORBY, Nick
January 2019

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Individual, environmental, attitudinal and institutional factors affecting access to and uptake of family planning for women and girls with disabilities in low and middle income countries are explored through a rapid literature review. Evidence of good practice concerning increasing full free and informed contraceptive choice is also examined.

 

Disability Inclusion Helpdesk Report. Pilot 2

The grace of motherhood: disabled women contending with societal denial of intimacy, pregnancy, and motherhood in Ethiopia

TEFERA, Balaynesh
et al
September 2017

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Ethiopian disabled women’s experiences of intimacy, pregnancy and motherhood are reported. Qualitative, in-depth, and semi-structured interviews along with personal observations were used to explore the full experiences of participants. Interview data revealed that mothers experienced significant challenges with regard to accessibility of health centers, physician’s lack of knowledge about and problematic attitudes toward them and more general societal prejudices towards individuals with disability. The 13 participants were employed women with physical or visual disabilities, and the interviewees were from the Addis Ababa metropolitan area, Ethiopia.

 

Disability & Society, 32:10, 1510-1533

DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2017.1361385

The grace of motherhood: disabled women contending with societal denial of intimacy, pregnancy, and motherhood in Ethiopia

TEFERA, Belaynesh
VAN ENGEN, Marloes
VAN DER KLINK, Jac
SCHIPPERS, Alice
2017

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This study aimed to provide better understanding of intimacy and marriage, pregnancy, birth, and motherhood experiences of women with disability in Ethiopia. Qualitative, in-depth, and semi-structured interviews along with personal observations were used to explore the full experiences of participants, as told in their own words. The result of the interviews indicated that relationships and motherhood proved a very rewarding option for women with disabilities. They also expressed their need for intimacy regardless of society’s denial. Challenges identified include negative societal attitudes toward women with disabilities regarding relationship, pregnancy, and child-rearing. Accessibility of health centers in addition to the ignorance and negative attitudes of the physicians are also reported to be major challenges for the interviewees. This study highlights how rewarding the experience of motherhood was for the interviewees and also shows that women with disabilities face challenges at every step of their experiences, because of society’s prejudices toward disability.

Advancing the access of deafblind women and girls to sexual and reproductive health

VISUAL HEARING IMPAIRMENT MEMBERSHIP ASSOCIATION (VIHEMA)
2017

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Activities to promote the access of deafblind women and girls to sexual and reproductive health are reported via brief descriptions of what happened, what changed and what worked. Activites included: training the deafblind women in their rights;training relatives of deafblind women, giving advice on general care, as well as highlighting the importance of supporting their sexual and reproductive health choices and promoting family planning; tackling the issue of the forced sterilization; awareness raising via newspapers and radio and improving livelihoods.

 

 

Abuse and denial of sexual and reproductive rights of women with psychosocial disabilities in Mexico

RODRIGUEZ, Priscila
et al
February 2015

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This report presents the situation faced by women with psycho-social conditions in Mexico based on the results of a year-long study. This research included the application of a questionnaire to fifty-one women with psychosocial disabilities who were either members of the Colectivo Chuhcan or received outpatient services at four different health clinics and psychiatric institutions in Mexico City. The main finding of this report is that the Mexican government has failed to implement policies that ensure that women with psychosocial disabilities have safe access to sexual and reproductive health services, on an equal basis with others. It is recommended this research be extended to the rest of the country to gain a clearer picture on the situation of the sexual and reproductive rights of women with disabilities at a national level

Human Rights

www.macao-tz.org
December 2014

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Malezi AIDS Care Awareness Organization (MACAO) is a non-profit organization reaching out to neglected Indigenous people in Ngorongoro District, Arusha Region of Northern Tanzania.  Macao founded in 2003, Macao is a humanitarian organization that provides assistance to approximately 200,000 Indigenous Maasai community in Ngorongoro district for addressing needs of water and sanitation, food security, health Care Research, Education, Research environment, Maasai Traditional Research, Human Rights and sustainable economic development by strengthening their livelihoods.  In addition to responding to major relief situations, MACAO focuses on long-term community development through over 4 Area Development Project. We welcome the donors and volunteers to join us in this programs, we are wolking in ruro villages.

Moving forward and gaining ground: the sterilisation of women and girls with disabilities in Australia

FROHMADER, Carolyn
June 2012

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This paper addresses the issue of forced sterilisation and reproductive right of women and girls with disability in Australia. "It discusses some of the critical issues in the consideration of forced sterilisation as a human rights issue, and looks at some of the key strategies WWDA has employed to advance our efforts to promote the sexual and reproductive rights of disabled women and girls, on an equal basis with other women and girls"
Available in pdf, word, large print text only and powerpoint presentation formats

Sterilization of women and girls with disabilities : a briefing paper

WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES AUSTRALIA (WWDA)
et al
November 2011

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The paper gives a background to the issue of forced sterilisation, outlines various international human rights standards that prohibit forced sterilisation, and offers several recommendations for improving laws, policies, and professional guidelines governing sterilisation practices. It is useful for anyone interested in the sterilization of women and girls with disabilities

Women's empowerment in Ethiopia : new solutions to ancient problems

ALEMU, Bogalech
ASNAKE, Mengistu
September 2007

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This report focuses on a 'Women and girls empowerment' project in Ethiopia, which expands the work of an earlier project to include girls and recognises the need for early intervention. Whereas the first project focused on removing obstacles to women's basic rights - both social and economic - and promoting access to reproductive health and family planning services, freedom from sexual exploitation, violence, forced marriage and other harmful traditional practices, this second project focuses on raising awareness and education among girls and women about reproductive health and family planning, personal rights and an emphasis on education, life skills and leadership development

Women, harm reduction, and HIV

PINKHAM, Sophie
MALINOWSKA-SEMPRUCH, Kasia
September 2007

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This report looks at factors that reduce women drug users’ access to health care including punitive policies, discrimination by police and health care providers, the intense social stigma attached to drug use by women, a preponderance of harm reduction and drug treatment programmes directed primarily toward men, an absence of sexual and reproductive health services for drug users, and poor access to effective outpatient drug treatment. Pregnant drug users are particularly vulnerable. In too many instances, they receive little or no accurate information about drug use during pregnancy or prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. In some countries pregnant drug users are rejected by health care providers, threatened with criminal penalties or loss of parental rights, or coerced into having an abortion or abandoning their newborns to the state. Poor access to medication-assisted treatment jeopardises the pregnancies of opiate-dependent drug users. It includes recommendations for consideration when designing services for women drug users and also examines issues around policies to protect women's health

Family planning choices for women with HIV

RICHEY, Catherine
SETTY, Vidya
August 2007

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This report looks at the need for health care providers to understand the impact of HIV on women’s reproductive health, fertility desires, and family planning needs so that they are better prepared to help clients with HIV make informed reproductive decisions

Women and HIV : questions answered

RICHEY, Catherine
SHETTY, Vidya
August 2007

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Questions and answers are grouped into 4 sections: basic facts about HIV; family planning and HIV; health of mother and infant; and mother-to-child transmission of HIV

A health handbook for women with disabilities

MAXWELL, Jane
WATTS BELSER, Julia
DAVID, Darlena
February 2007

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This book deals with practical advice on health care for women with disabilities. It has been developed in partnership with health care professionals and disabled women in over 42 countries. It covers the key issues of disability in the community; accessible health care; mental health; sexual health; family planning; and child birth. The book is written in a practical and accessible style, suitable for anyone with an interest in disability, social development and women's health issues. In particular, the book offers a valuable insight into 'real-life' personal experiences of disabled women

Family planning : a global handbook for providers

World Health Organization Department of Reproductive Health and Research (WHO/RHR)
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Center for Communication Programs (CCP), Info Project CCP
United States Agency for Inernational Development (USAID)
2007

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This is a quick-reference resource for health care workers at all levels. It reflects the family planning guidance developed by the WHO and expands on the coverage of 'The essentials of contraceptive technology' (CCP:1997) to address other needs of clients that come up during the course of family planning. Coverage includes different methods of contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, maternal and new born health, reproductive health issues, family planning provision and serving diverse groups; e.g. adolescents, men, and women near menopause . The handbook is one of the WHO's 'four cornerstones of family planning guidance'

Gender equality and "sugar daddies"

HOPE, Ruth
2007

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This paper considers the risks to young women of cross-generational sex, given that young women 15-24 years in sub-Saharan Africa are three times more likely to be infected with HIV than young men of the same age. It looks at sexual risk behaviour, consent, exploitation and coercion, and transactional sex with regard to cross-generational sex and it also looks at interventions to address risky behaviour

The changing context of sexual initiation in sub-Saharan Africa

MENSCH, Barbara S
GRANT, Monica J
BLANC, Ann K
November 2005

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During the past 20 years, substantial reductions have occurred in the proportion of young women who report marrying as teenagers in sub-Saharan Africa. An oft-stated consequence of a delay in age at marriage is a rise in the proportion of young women who engage in premarital sex. This paper investigates the links between changing age at marriage and premarital sexual behavior in 27 sub-Saharan African countries in which Demographic and Health Surveys were conducted between 1994 and 2003. Using multiple-decrement life tables to examine the competing risks of premarital sex and marriage without prior sexual experience, we answer the largely unaddressed question of how reductions in the prevalence of early marriage have affected the likelihood of initiating premarital sex. Our analysis reveals that although the age of first sexual activity has either remained the same or increased, a shift in the context of sexual debut from marriage to before marriage has taken place in many countries. We assess whether the increase in the proportion of young women who report premarital sex is influenced by an increase in exposure resulting from delayed marriage or by an increase in the rate of premarital sex. The evidence on this point is mixed; in some settings greater exposure explains more of the increase, whereas in others an increased rate of premarital sex dominates

Discrimination against women with disabilities

BELEZA, Maria Leonor
October 2003

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This publication highlights the difficulties that women with disabilities often encounter and includes practical information on how to improve their situation. The report analyses the underlying factors of double discrimination based on gender and disability and proposes concrete actions to achieve equality. This report would be of interest to all those concerned with the fight against discrimination throughout Europe

Cross-generational and transactional sexual relations in sub-Saharan Africa : prevalance of behaviour and implications for negotiating safer sexual practices

LUKE, Nancy
KURZ, Kathleen
September 2002

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This paper is a literature and evidence survey of cross-generational and transactional sex in Africa. It examines the age and economic asymmetries in sexual relationships in an African context, prevalence of cross-generational and transactional sexual relationships, adolescent girls' and men's motivations and adolescent girls' negotiating power in relationships. It comes to the conclusion that adolescent girls have power when negotiating the start and end of relationships and they are strongly motivated to enter into cross-generational relationships for the material benefits and status that they bring. However, once they have entered the relaltionship the balance of power shifts to the man, especially in the context of gift-giving.
The paper also examines the evidence around cultural acceptance of cross-generational and transactional sexual relationships, violence and rape within the relationships, multiple relationships, and outcome of the relationships. The authors' recommendations are to: gather policy support for changing the social norm; mount programmatic responses; conduct research to investigate the success of programmatic responses, document the policy process, and fill other important information gaps

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