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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? 

From words to actions: systematic review of interventions to promote sexual and reproductive health of persons with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries

HAMEED, Shaffa
MADDAMS, Alexander
LOWE, Hattie
DAVIES, Lowri
KHOSLA, Rajat
SHAKESPEARE, Tom
2020

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Persons with disabilities have the same sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as non-disabled persons. Yet they face numerous barriers in their access to sexual and reproductive health services and their rights are often not met. Evidence on SRHR for persons with disabilities is sparse, particularly evaluations of interventions demonstrating ‘what works.’ This systematic review assessed interventions to promote SRHR for persons with disabilities in low- and middle-income countries.

The method involved searching for qualitative, quantitative or mixed method observational studies representing primary research, published between 2010 and 2019, using MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Global Health and CINAHL Plus

 

BMJ Global Health 2020;5:e002903.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002903

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

Everybody Matters: Good practices for inclusion of people with disabilities in sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes

Van SLOBBE, Caroline
November 2017

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This publication provides introductory chapters from two activists who work to create better opportunities for people with disabilities in Nigeria and India. Subsequently, the challenges that organisations worldwide have encountered whilst improving the access to and knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights for people with disabilities are presented. Ways in which they managed to find solutions and the results achieved are reviewed. Some cases show the importance of a more personal approach whilst others emphasise the advantage of changing systems and policies. Different regions, types of disabilities and various SRHR-topics are reflected in these stories. All cases provide lessons learnt that contribute to a set of recommendations for improved responses. The closing chapter highlights the challenges, solutions, and ambitions that are presented and lead up to a concise overview of recommendations.  

Good practice examples include:

A shift in SRH programming (Nepal)

Breaking Barriers with performance art (Kenya)

Her Body, Her Rights (Ethiopia)

People with disabilities leading the way (Israel Family Planning Association)

Best Wishes for safe motherhood (Nepal)

It’s my body! (Bangladesh)

Calling a spade a spade (Netherlands)

Four joining forces (Colombia)

Change agents with a disability (Zimbabwe)

Tito’s privacy and rights (Argentina)

Sign language for service providers (Kenya)

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.

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

The balanced counseling strategy plus : a toolkit for family planning service providers working in high HIV/STI prevalence settings

POPULATION COUNCIL
2011

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"This "is an interactive, client-friendly approach for improving counseling on family planning and prevention, detection, and treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. The BCS+ was adapted from the Balanced Counseling Strategy, an evidence-based and well-researched tool for improving counseling on contraceptive methods. The BCS+ toolkit, developed and tested in Kenya and South Africa, provides the information and materials needed for health care facility providers to provide complete and high-quality family planning counseling to clients who live in areas with high rates of HIV and STIs.The BCS+ tools are generic and can be revised according to national and/or regional guidelines and different contexts
This second edition toolkit includes the following: * BCS+ Trainer’s Guide: Supervisors and others can use this to train health care facility directors and service providers on how to use the BCS+ for counseling family planning clients. * BCS+ User’s Guide: This guide focuses on how to implement the Balanced Counseling Strategy Plus. It can be distributed during training or used on its own with the BCS+ job aids. * BCS+ job aids comprising: - BCS+ algorithm that summarizes the 19 steps needed to implement the BCS+ during a family planning counseling session. These steps are organized into four stages: pre-choice, method choice, post-choice, and STI/HIV counseling. - BCS+ counseling cards that the provider uses during a counseling session. There are 26 counseling cards, the first of which contains six questions that the service provider asks to rule out the possibility a client is pregnant. Each of the next 16 cards contains information about a different family planning method. The next 3 cards provide advice on pregnancy and the postpartum period. The last 6 cards provide essential information for counseling on preventing, detecting, and treating STIs and HIV. - BCS+ method brochures on each of the 16 methods represented by the counseling cards. The brochures provide counseling to clients on the method they have chosen and then are given to clients for later reference. This means clients do not have to rely on their recollection of what was discussed with the provider. - WHO Medical Eligibility Criteria Wheel (offsite link) guides providers through medical conditions and medications that may be contraindications to use of particular contraceptive methods. The BCS+ tools are generic and can be revised according to national and/or regional guidelines and different contexts"
A video describing use of the BCS+ toolkit in South Africa also is available. To obtain Microsoft Word versions of BCS+ files to modify or revise according to your local setting, please contact the publisher

A book for midwives : care for pregnancy, birth and women's health|Un libro para parteras : atencion del embarazo, el parto y la salud de la mujer

KLEIN, Susan
MILLER, Suellen
THOMPSON, Fiona
2009

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Originally published in 1995, A Book for Midwives has been a comprehensive resource for practicing midwives and midwifery training programmes around the world. This new edition has been extensively updated and revised to reflect new WHO/UNICEF guidelines and standards for mothers and newborn children.This book covers the essentials of care before, during, and after birth, providing a variety of designs for low-cost equipment and training materials. It includes new information on helping women stay healthy during pregnancy; helping mothers have safer labors and births; preventing, managing, and treating obstetric emergencies; breastfeeding; the health needs of new babies; and involving the community in improving the health of mothers and pregnant women. It also includes new information about treatment and medications for HIV and other sexually transmitted infectons; vaccinations, medicines, and drug interactions; infection prevention; improved methods for dealing with complicated deliveries; and new and updated information on family planning

The active community engagement continuum

RUSSELL, Nancy
et al
July 2008

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The active community engagement continuum (ACE) provides a framework for analysing community engagement in reproductive health and family planning and the role the community plays in institutionalising lasting behaviour and social change. It involves a process that includes the sharing of information with stakeholders and the local community

A report card on maternal mortality

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
2008

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‘Progress for Children’ is a series that monitors progress towards the Millennium Development Goals. This edition focuses on maternal health and, in particular, maternal mortality. It considers general progress and then examines particular regions. The report card acknowledges progress in improving maternal health, but argues that it is not sufficient to meet the MDG target of reducing maternal mortality by three quarters between 1990 and 2015

Sexual health for people with intellectual disability

EASTGATE, Gillian
2008

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This article explores how people with intellectual disability often experience difficulties meeting their sexual needs and desires due to poor education and social isolation. However, the article highlights that people with intellectual disability are capable of safe, constructive sexual expression and healthy relationships with appropriate education and good social support. It emphasises that providing this support is an essential part of supporting people with intellectual disability
Salud Publica Mex, 50 suppl 2

Sex and relationships for people with learning disabilities : a challenge for parents and professionals

GARBUTT, Ruth
2008

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"This paper considers some of the issues around sex and relationships for people with learning disabilities. It is essentially a discussion paper, highlighting previous research, and information about the rights of people with learning disabilities to have sex and relationships. It particularly focuses on concerns for parents and some implications for professional practice that have arisen from a research project that is trying to find out more about the issues. The main messages coming from parents within the research project is that there is a need for clear, concise information about sex and relationships for young people with learning disabilities and there is also a need for professionals to give parents more support"
Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Research and Practice Journal, 5

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

The abstinence debate : condoms, the President's emergency plan for AIDS relief (PEPFAR) and ideology

BOLER, Tania
INGHAM, Roger
June 2007

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This paper summarises issues raised by a meeting to discuss the contribution of abstinence-only HIV & AIDS education and presents the key arguments for and against abstinence-only education that were presented at the meeting. It was developed on behalf of the Working Group on Education and HIV/AIDS, in the UK Consortium on AIDS and International Development

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'

Pages

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