A mixed-methods study of the awareness and functionality of sexual and reproductive health services among persons with disability in Ghana
Seidu, Abdul-Aziz, Malau-Aduli, Bunmi S., McBain-Rigg, Kristin, Malau-Aduli, Aduli E.O., and Emeto, Theophilus I. (2023) A mixed-methods study of the awareness and functionality of sexual and reproductive health services among persons with disability in Ghana. Reproductive Health, 20. 162.
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Abstract
Background: Persons with disabilities (PwDs) face barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services due to lack of knowledge and awareness, stigma and discrimination, and inadequate service provision. This study aimed to examine the determinants of SRH knowledge and awareness among PwDs in Ghana, and to explore their perceptions of the functionality of SRH services.
Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods study design was used to collect and analyse quantitative (n = 402) and qualitative (n = 37) data from PwDs in two districts in Ghana. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, while qualitative data was analysed thematically.
Results: Most of the participants had high awareness of SRH (94.3%), sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (92.5%) and HIV/AIDS (97.0%). Employment status was positively associated with SRH awareness [aOR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.02, 2.59]. Disability type was a significant predictor of STI [aOR = 2.02; 95% CI = 1.39, 2.94] and HIV/AIDS [aOR = 2.32; 95% CI = 1.21, 4.44] awareness, with the visually impaired having higher odds than the physically disabled. Age group was also a significant predictor of STI awareness, with older respondents having higher odds than younger ones [aOR = 1.76; CI = 1.01,3.05 for 30–39 years; aOR = 2.48; CI = 1.22, 5.05 for 40–49 years]. The qualitative findings revealed four main themes: conceptualisation of SRH, active engagement in SRH information seeking, tensions between knowledge and religious beliefs and perceived utility of SRH services.
Conclusion: Despite the high levels of SRH knowledge and awareness among PwDs, there are significant gaps and challenges related to disability type, age group, misconceptions, beliefs, and service non-functionality that limit the utility of SRH services. The findings call for tailored education to reduce misconceptions and put in pragmatic steps to deliver quality SRH services and information to PwDs. Further research is needed to assess the sexual lives of PwDs and explore the perspectives of all relevant stakeholders, including service providers and policymakers on how to enhance SRH outcomes for PwDs in Ghana.
| Item ID: | 81128 |
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| Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
| ISSN: | 1742-4755 |
| Copyright Information: | © The Author(s) 2023. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. |
| Date Deposited: | 21 Nov 2023 00:52 |
| FoR Codes: | 49 MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES > 4905 Statistics > 490502 Biostatistics @ 30% 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4203 Health services and systems > 420318 People with disability @ 40% 42 HEALTH SCIENCES > 4202 Epidemiology > 420204 Epidemiological methods @ 30% |
| SEO Codes: | 20 HEALTH > 2002 Evaluation of health and support services > 200204 Health inequalities @ 40% 20 HEALTH > 2004 Public health (excl. specific population health) > 200403 Disability and functional capacity @ 40% 20 HEALTH > 2003 Provision of health and support services > 200302 Community health care @ 20% |
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