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Review
. 2013:2013:642472.
doi: 10.1155/2013/642472. Epub 2013 Dec 12.

Sexual and reproductive health care for women with intellectual disabilities: a primary care perspective

Nechama W Greenwood  1 , Joanne Wilkinson  2
Affiliations
Review

Sexual and reproductive health care for women with intellectual disabilities: a primary care perspective

Nechama W Greenwood et al. Int J Family Med. 2013.

Abstract

Adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) face multiple health disparities and challenges to accessing health care. Little is known about sexual health care of this population and about how to optimize women's reproductive health care for women with intellectual disabilities. Women with ID face important barriers to care, including lack of provider training and experience, hesitancy to broach the topic of sexual health, a lack of sexual knowledge and limited opportunities for sex education, disability-related barriers, higher prevalence of sexual abuse and assault, often underreported, lack of dialogue around this population's human right to consensual sexual expression, undertreatment of menstrual disorders, and legal and systemic barriers. We conducted a limited literature review related to six aspects of sexual health care of women with ID, including barriers to sexual health care, sex education, sexual abuse and consensual sexuality, contraception, screening for sexually transmitted infections and cervical cancer, and pregnancy and parenting. After providing background information about each topic, we suggest practice recommendations for primary care clinicians, using a rights-based framework.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Algorithm for contraceptive decision making, updated from Paransky and Zurawin [40].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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