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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Foreword by the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme<br />
On behalf <strong>of</strong> the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme (formerly the Crisis<br />
Pregnancy Agency), I welcome the findings <strong>of</strong> this literature review<br />
relating to intellectual disability, pregnancy, counselling, <strong>and</strong> crisis<br />
pregnancy.<br />
Support to People with an Intellectual Disability who are<br />
<strong>Accessible</strong><br />
<strong>and</strong> <strong>Appropriate</strong> <strong>of</strong> Provisi<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Review</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Literature</str<strong>on</strong>g><br />
Experiencing Crisis Pregnancy<br />
The study, which was jointly commissi<strong>on</strong>ed by the Nati<strong>on</strong>al Disability<br />
Authority <strong>and</strong> the Crisis Pregnancy Agency, aimed to describe the key<br />
challenges faced by women with intellectual disabilities in accessing<br />
health <strong>and</strong> social work services during crisis pregnancy. The study also<br />
aimed to identify internati<strong>on</strong>al models <strong>of</strong> good practice regarding crisis<br />
pregnancy counselling <strong>and</strong> support services for women with intellectual<br />
disabilities experiencing a crisis pregnancy.<br />
The comprehensive examinati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> Irish <strong>and</strong> internati<strong>on</strong>al literature<br />
presented in the report reveals that there is very little research<br />
investigating crisis pregnancy am<strong>on</strong>g women with intellectual disability.<br />
However, the review does reveal specific challenges in relati<strong>on</strong> to<br />
preventing crisis pregnancy for women with intellectual disability,<br />
such as lack <strong>of</strong> knowledge surrounding sexual relati<strong>on</strong>ships, increased<br />
vulnerability to sexual exploitati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> lack <strong>of</strong> appropriate support<br />
services.<br />
The review also dem<strong>on</strong>strates that sexual health care <strong>and</strong> relati<strong>on</strong>ships<br />
for women with intellectual disability are complicated by legal <strong>and</strong><br />
technical issues surrounding her capacity to c<strong>on</strong>sent, both to medical<br />
treatment (including c<strong>on</strong>tracepti<strong>on</strong>) <strong>and</strong> to sexual intercourse. Negative<br />
attitudes to sexual activity am<strong>on</strong>g people with disabilities, a desire to<br />
protect women from exploitati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> lack <strong>of</strong> specialised care to enable<br />
women to participate in healthcare <strong>and</strong> reproductive decisi<strong>on</strong>-making<br />
can compromise the level <strong>of</strong> care a woman with an intellectual disability<br />
receives.<br />
While the review identifies many challenges <strong>and</strong> barriers faced by<br />
women with intellectual disability it also dem<strong>on</strong>strates that providing<br />
appropriate educati<strong>on</strong> <strong>and</strong> support services, supported by an effective<br />
legal framework, can improve such women’s participati<strong>on</strong> in decisi<strong>on</strong>s