Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...
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PAGE 18<br />
internati<strong>on</strong>al jurisdicti<strong>on</strong>s including laws which prohibit sex with<br />
people deemed unable to c<strong>on</strong>sent to sex, laws which incorporate<br />
a functi<strong>on</strong>al approach to assessment <strong>of</strong> capacity to c<strong>on</strong>sent to<br />
sexual <str<strong>on</strong>g>Literature</str<strong>on</strong>g> relati<strong>on</strong>s, <str<strong>on</strong>g>Review</str<strong>on</strong>g> generic <strong>on</strong> Provisi<strong>on</strong> laws applying <strong>of</strong> <strong>Appropriate</strong> to sex without <strong>and</strong> <strong>Accessible</strong> c<strong>on</strong>sent<br />
<strong>and</strong> Support laws which to People prohibit with specific an Intellectual sexual Disability relati<strong>on</strong>ships. who are<br />
Experiencing Crisis Pregnancy<br />
• There is a lack <strong>of</strong> empirical evidence <strong>on</strong> the individual experience<br />
<strong>of</strong> crisis pregnancy, pregnancy <strong>and</strong> childbirth am<strong>on</strong>g women<br />
with intellectual disability, to inform pr<strong>of</strong>essi<strong>on</strong>al practice. There<br />
is limited research related to how a woman with intellectual<br />
disability c<strong>on</strong>ceptualises her pregnancy <strong>and</strong> whether it was<br />
unplanned, unwanted or a crisis for her. The research that does<br />
exist suggests that the number <strong>of</strong> women with intellectual<br />
disability having children is increasing <strong>and</strong> that when a woman<br />
announces her pregnancy, the reacti<strong>on</strong>s <strong>of</strong> people close to<br />
her are almost exclusively negative. Other challenges faced by<br />
women with an intellectual disability experiencing pregnancy<br />
<strong>and</strong> parenthood include accessing sexual health informati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
accessing sexual health services, inadequate informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
negative attitudes to pregnancy <strong>and</strong> parenthood am<strong>on</strong>g service<br />
providers <strong>and</strong> the wider community.<br />
• The review c<strong>on</strong>siders the importance <strong>of</strong> early presentati<strong>on</strong> to<br />
medical services when a woman with an intellectual disability<br />
discovers her pregnancy. Furthermore, it c<strong>on</strong>siders pre- <strong>and</strong><br />
post-natal supports for women experiencing pregnancy, as well<br />
as supports for their families <strong>and</strong> carers.<br />
• A c<strong>on</strong>sistent finding in the internati<strong>on</strong>al literature is that mothers<br />
with intellectual disability experience poverty, anxiety <strong>and</strong><br />
social isolati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> tend not to have the necessary supports in<br />
place to cope with difficulties that they encounter as parents.<br />
Furthermore, the research has established the importance <strong>of</strong><br />
family <strong>and</strong> social support networks as well as informati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />
educati<strong>on</strong> in assisting mothers with an intellectual disability in<br />
raising their children.