Fertility Problem Characteristics Experienced by Women with Physical Disability and Distressing Factors

Contraceptive dynamics among women with disabilities of reproductive age in Ethiopia: systematic review

BACKGROUND

In low-income countries, women with disabilities have limited access to essential sexual and reproductive health services and are disadvantaged socioeconomically. Even though some studies have been conducted previously, there are scanty findings on contraceptive use and associated factors among women with disabilities. Thus, this systematic review aimed to assess contraceptive use and associated factors among women with disabilities of reproductive age in Ethiopia.

METHODS

The Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses [PRISMA] guidance is used to conduct this systematic review. Data were searched from electronic databases: PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Google Scholar, and other relevant sources. Studies screening was done using Rayyan software. The findings were narratively synthesized using a socio-ecological framework for health promotion.

RESULT

Ten cross-sectional studies and 4436 women with disabilities of reproductive age were included in this review. According to this review, women with disabilities are less likely to use contraceptives, with a prevalence of 21.7% in Gondor City and 44.4% in Addis Ababa. The associated factors were identified and themed at individual, interpersonal, community, and institutional levels.

CONCLUSION

Overall, the review findings revealed that women with disabilities continue to encounter challenges ranging from individual level to disability-unfriendly health facility infrastructure or institutional level. Therefore, health professionals and other relevant stakeholders should draw attention to creating awareness towards contraceptive use at individual and interpersonal levels, ensuring accessible contraceptive services and disability-friendly health facilities.

Effect of social support and barrier perceptions of disabled women on early detection of breast cancer

In the study, we examine the effect of social support and disability perception of disabled women on early diagnosis behaviors of breast cancer. The research was conducted as descriptive. The sample of the study consisted of 105 participants. The breast self-examination barrier perception point average of the participants applying the breast self-examination was statistically significantly lower than those not applying and the barrier perception point average of participants having mammography was statistically significantly lower than those not having it (p < 0.05).