The Work of Disabled Women Seeking Reproductive Health Care

Abstract

Traditionally, the needs of disabled people have been under the specialty known as physical medicine and rehabilitation. The compartmentalization of disabled people to this specialty rather than primary care is topic of a criticism by disability activists who claim this as evidence that doctors avoid those whom they cannot cure and reject disability as everyday part of life (Gillet al. 1994). Attention to disabled women's health has been gradually expanding and improving. However, the split between physical medicine and rehabilitation and general primary care has created some gaps for women with disabilities, perhaps most especially regarding obstretic and reproductive health care. This is a study that examines the reproductive health care experiences of disabled women living in the San Francisco Bay Area. These experiences cover areas of sexuality, pregnancy, contraception, pelvic exams, and medical technology (e.g., mammography). The aim of the study is to gather information on this population's experiences with health care professionals, specifically professionals who provide care regarding reproductive and sexual health. How do disabled women navigate through the health care system as they search for care that “fits”?