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'What works' to ensure persons with disabilities have access to sexual and reproductive health services

Itad
June 2020

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A growing body of evidence shows that people with disabilities have historically been denied their sexual and reproductive health rights, despite having the same sexual and reproductive health needs as people without disabilities, and continue to face many barriers to accessing these lifesaving services.

This evidence gap map, developed as part of the UK Department for International Development’s Women’s Integrated Sexual Reproductive Health (WISH) programme, collates evidence on ‘what works’ to enable access to sexual reproductive health services for persons with disabilities in low and middle-income countries.

Gender, sexuality and relationships for young Australian women with intellectual disability

O’SHEA, A
FRAWLEY, P
2019

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Gender has often been overlooked in the lives of people with intellectual disability, resulting in a limited understanding and service response. This is in part due to a lack of knowledge about the way people with intellectual disability negotiate and build a gendered identity. In this article we present research undertaken with six young women with an intellectual disability who worked with the first researcher to co-develop some stories from their lives. We show how, facilitated by an innovative method which focused on meaningful engagement, the women told stories of richly gendered lives and subjectivities. Their stories showed how gender can be a desired and productive subjectivity, and how consideration of gender can help to identify resistance and agency in their lives. Their stories illustrate how gender is necessary in forming a comprehensive understanding of the lives of women with intellectual disability.

Sterilisation and intellectually disabled people in New Zealand—still on the agenda?

HAMILTON, C
2012

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Support through care and protection within a medical framework, rather than through the idea of independence within the least restrictive environment, continues to guide service provision for intellectually disabled people in the sexuality area. Past practices have included use of involuntary sterilisation. This article outlines the outcome of a search for information undertaken because of concerns that use of sterilisation-related procedures may remain embedded in contemporary approaches to sexuality support management. Verified instances of hysterectomy carried out between 1991 and 2001 were uncovered. Documents tabled at a Parliamentary Select Committee in 2003 expressing concerns about use in relation to young disabled girls were also found. Requests for sterilisation-related procedures exemplify how the right of all vulnerable citizens to full bodily integrity is currently adjudicated in New Zealand. It is suggested that further research is needed to pinpoint and address the underlying social customs through which requests for such procedures are negotiated and resolved.

Moving forward and gaining ground: the sterilisation of women and girls with disabilities in Australia

FROHMADER, Carolyn
June 2012

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This paper addresses the issue of forced sterilisation and reproductive right of women and girls with disability in Australia. "It discusses some of the critical issues in the consideration of forced sterilisation as a human rights issue, and looks at some of the key strategies WWDA has employed to advance our efforts to promote the sexual and reproductive rights of disabled women and girls, on an equal basis with other women and girls"
Available in pdf, word, large print text only and powerpoint presentation formats

Access to HIV/AIDS and sexual violence protection services among women and men with hearing, visual and physical impairments in Battambang and Kampong Cham provinces of Cambodia

MAC-SEING, Muriel
August 2010

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"This article presents the findings of a study on access to HIV prevention and sexual violence protection services among persons with disabilities in Cambodia, based on a gender and cross-impairment analysis. The results show obvious discrepancies between women and men of different impairments in regards to their level of HIV knowledge and risks to sexual violence, in particular among women with disabilities. Furthermore, local services providers revealed their lack of awareness on disability issues and capacity in providing accessible services to them. Ways forward in addressing the rights of women and men with disabilities, as well as gaps in services delivery will have to be addressed in concerted manners at political, societal and community levels"

The state of the world's children 2009

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
December 2008

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The 2009 report ..."examines critical issues in maternal and newborn health, underscoring the need to establish a comprehensive continuum of care for mothers, newborns and children. "The report outlines the latest paradigms in health programming and policies for mothers and newborns, and explores policies, programmes and partnerships aimed at improving maternal and neonatal health. Africa and Asia are a key focus for this report, which complements the previous year's issue on child survival." The report can be downloaded as a PDF or a multi-media version is also available in four languages

Interagency list of essential medical devices for reproductive health

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
et al
2008

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This interagency list is a tool to support planning for the selection, quality assurance and procurement of medical devices to implement Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) interventions, which are defined as the "Essential care to women and their newborn during pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal period: up to six weeks after delivery." The objective is to propose an international consensus on a rational selection of essential medical devices for reproductive health according to their public health relevance based on efficacy, safety and cost effectiveness. Published by the WHO on behalf of John Snow Inc., PATH, Population Action International, United Nations Population Fund, and the World Bank, in collaboration with the United Nations Children's Fund and Medecins Sans Frontieres. The WHO and partnering organisations plan to update this list every two years

Giving voice to the voiceless : a communicating for advocacy publication

September 2007

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Using a rights-based approach, this project sought to develop the capacity of poor and marginalised groups in South and South-East Asia both to influence practice and policy, and for information exchange and skills transfer by health and development agencies. The project focused on four main themes: training, advocacy, communication and networking, and the lessons learned from it are set out in the report

Voluntary counselling and testing : a gateway to linking HIV and sexual and reproductive health

INTERNATIONAL PLANNED PARENTHOOD FEDERATION (IPPF)
July 2007

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This publication identifies approaches and issues to Voluntary Counselling and Testing by drawing on the experiences of three sexual and reproductive health organisations in Cambodia, Uganda and Nepal. While the settings and client profiles of each organisation differ, the human rights based approach towards testing and counselling emerges clearly from these case studies. This publication includes an overview of the different types of HIV testing and highlights some of the different and, at times, conflicting views on the essential elements of HIV testing, and on the means by which universal access to HIV testing should be achieved

Another way to learn : case studies

UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION
2007

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These case studies come from an initiative that supports non-formal education projects in Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America. The long-term goal of these projects is to develop sustainable livelihoods for low-income, low-literate populations by addressing vulnerability to HIV and AIDS and drug misuse, a lack of education and social exclusion. Central to all of these projects are the creative and innovative methods used to communicate in a meaningful way, engage people and encourage their participation. The projects all focus on capacity building, empowerment, and creating learning opportunities. A DVD has been produced to accompany this publication

AIDS in China : anatomy of an epidemic

2005

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Surely China does not face a general AIDS epidemic? The government says that only 0.07% of the general population is infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and, unlike some other governments' figures, this one may be an overestimate. The World Health Organisation (WHO) would prefer to quote a range of 0.05-0.08%. Moreover, large areas of the country have relatively few cases of HIV: in only three of China's 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities are more than 10,000 people infected. Even so, China does have an AIDS epidemic and, though it may not yet be a catastrophe on a national scale, it has the potential to become one

Emerging challenges and opportunities in drug registration and regulation in developing countries

HILL, Suzanne
JOHNSON, Kent
May 2004

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This study describes current drug regulation and registration processes in selected countries, in order to understand how they affect the quality and availability of medicines in developing countries. It puts forward policy recommendations as to how systems can more efficiently allow appropriate quality drugs to be marketed and examines the emerging challenges and requirements posed by compulsory licensing, drugs for neglected diseases, anti-retroviral (ARV) and anti-tuberculosis (TB) drugs

Promoting rights-based approaches : experiences and ideas from Asia and the Pacific

THEIS, Joachim
2004

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This book is a collection of experiences with rights-based approaches from Asia and the Pacific. Part One looks at rights-based programming, and provides a general overview of rights-based approaches and their history. This is followed by a review of experiences of different rights-based organisations. Part Two translates human rights principles and standards into practical ideas for education and HIV/AIDS programming and for organisational development and management. Part Three presents four examples of rights-based programmes: promoting children’s participation in Vietnam, the Child Friendly District initiative in Ho Chi Minh City, confronting discrimination in South Asia and strengthening accountability for children’s rights through mass media. Part Four presents experiences and experiments with tools for rights-based analysis, planning, monitoring and evaluation. There is also a section on web resources on rights-based approaches, which lists some of the major organisations that are promoting rights-based approaches to development and relief work

HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support : stories from the community

RUSCHKAMP, S
et al
April 2003

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Touches on development dynamics (includig poverty, gender, inequality, low levels of education, population mobility and lack of access to basic services), which feature in the spread of HIV and AIDS in Asia. It shares positive ideas and creative solutions for action to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS. It is a collection of stories of community partners working together, including local responses to the challenges of HIV and AIDS

Meeting the HIV/AIDS challenge to food secutiry : the role of labour saving technologies in farm-households

DU GUERNAY, Jacques
December 2002

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The paper focuses on the various types and levels of constraints faced by farm-households as a production and reproduction system within a farming system. These constraints include time and energy limitations created by HIV/AIDS provoked shortages. The paper highlights the contributions various labour saving technologies (LSTs) could provide while also stressing the conditions, including gender ones, which have to be met in order to introduce LSTs successfully. LSTs are a partial solution to HIV/AIDS problems, but also represent a challenge to the way agriculture is practiced and to common policies in both agriculture and HIV/AIDS. The focus on LSTs is a fertile field for cooperation between sectors, between public and private institutions, North-South and South-South

Edutainment for development and sexual health [whole issue]

2002

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This issue of Sexual Health Exchange includes articles on performance art / theatre for development projects in 12 countries. The diverse projects described tend to focus on social change as well as behaviour change communications, and range from peer education projects to edu-clowns to mass-media soap operas

Reproductive rights and women with disabilities : a human rights framework

CENTER FOR REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS
January 2002

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This paper advocates that international human rights law be used to promote and protect the reproductive rights and needs of women with disabilities. In addition, this work examines the correlation between the following key areas: the right to equality, non-discrimination, reproductive health, physical integrity, and the right to marry. This work also features country based examples, addressing abuses that occur in China and Australia. This work would be useful for anyone with an interest in human/women's rights, reproductive rights and disability

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