Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...

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used by most women with learning disabilities, with barrier
methods being reported as unheard of.
• One <strong>Literature</strong> study in Belgium <strong>Review</strong> on (Servais Provision et of al., Appropriate 2002) found and that Accessible women
Support to People with an Intellectual Disability who are
with intellectual disabilities were more likely to be treated with
Experiencing Crisis Pregnancy
sterilisation or Depot Medroxyprogesterone and less likely to be
prescribed oral contraceptives. Another study in England showed
that the women were not well informed about the nature of the
medical interventions arranged for them or possible side-effects.
• Reliance on low/no maintenance methods as outlined above
assumes that women with learning disabilities are incapable
or unreliable when it comes to managing their own fertility
(McCarthy, 1999).
• The following factors were associated with an increased
probability of using contraception (Servais et al., 2002):
- Residing in an institution
- Living in an institution where contraception is required
or advised
- Living in an institution where sexual intercourse is not
prohibited
- Having a milder disability.
The authors noted the low influence of personal or medical
factors in the women’s use of contraception.
• Small-scale research in England (McCarthy, 1998) demonstrated
that decision-making about contraception was done by others
(including doctors, parents, and family members) on behalf of
women with intellectual disabilities. McCarthy (1998) asserts that
while some women with learning disabilities would find making
decisions about contraception difficult and would find it hard to
manage the practicalities of some methods, women with learning
disabilities are not given sufficient or appropriate information and
support to make these choices themselves.