SPECIAL ISSUE: Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women with DisabilityResearch paperReproductive healthcare experiences of women with cerebral palsy
Section snippets
Methods
Participants were included in this study if they were diagnosed with CP and were ≥18 years of age. CP describes a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture, that can be associated with cognitive and communication difficulties, due to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing fetal or infant brain.25 Participants were recruited from CP Centers and clinics at four large university-based medical institutions. In addition, flyers were distributed to
Results
The participant survey was completed by 375 women with CP. Nineteen women completed a paper survey and 46 women (12.3%) completed the survey over the telephone. The largest response came from areas surrounding the coordinating site in New York (n = 185) followed by Chicago (n = 74), Los Angeles (n = 73), and Boston (n = 43) areas. The majority of respondents (73.3%) checked “myself” as completing the survey. As expected, many women (n = 100) required assistance. Of these women, 30.0% required
Discussion
There is limited research on pregnancy of women with disabilities, and much is based on small samples that are qualitative in nature.9 Findings from this study indicated 20% of the women surveyed experienced at least one pregnancy resulting in 149 pregnancies and 100 live births. However, fewer than one-third of the participants in this study were ever asked by a health care provider about their desire to have children. Functional abilities were significantly linked with whether women were
Conclusions
This is the largest study to focus on pregnancy and delivery for women with CP and yields important information. Approximately 20% of the women surveyed had one or more pregnancies, and the participant pool included young women just beginning their reproductive years. There is a need to discuss and support their desire for sexual relationships and pregnancy. CP specialists should begin these conversations and make referrals during adolescence and early adulthood. Our data reveal the need to
Prior Presentations
Data included in this manuscript was presented at the American Public Health Assoc. meeting in Denver, CO on October 2016, the American Academy of Cerebral Palsy & Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) meeting in Hollywood FL September 2016, the European Academy of Childhood Disability meeting in Stockholm, Sweden June 2016, and the AACPDM annual meeting in Austin, TX October 2015.
Funding
This study was funded by a donation from the 100 Women in Hedge Fund organization to the Cerebral Palsy Foundation. The authors have no financial conflicts to declare.
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