They are my future : childbearing desires and motivations among women with disabilities in Ghana - implications for reproductive healthcare
Date
2020-10-06
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BMC
Abstract
Background: Previous research has highlighted widespread public mis/perceptions that portray women with
disabilities (WWDs) as asexual, less likely to marry, and often not interested in childbearing. However, evidence from
high-income settings shows that many WWDs are sexually active and do have or want to have children.
Notwithstanding this, very few studies have focused on understanding childbearing desires and motivations among
WWDs in low-income settings. This qualitative research explored childbearing desires and motivations among
WWDs in Ghana.
Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted with WWDs aged 18–49 years in Northern Ghana. The
distribution of participants by disability types were as follows: physical disability/impairment (n = 37); visual
impairment (n = 11); speech and hearing impairment (n = 14); epilepsy (n = ten); and albinism (n = five). A pretested
open-ended thematic topic guide was designed and used to conduct in-depth interviews. Interviews were
tape-recorded and later transcribed for analysis. Transcripts were coded using QSR NVivo 11 software. Thematic
content analysis techniques were used to analyse and present the data.
Results: Nearly all the WWDs interviewed were sexually active, desiring to have children, and intended to have as
many children as they could support. Strong desire to experience the joy of motherhood; fear of social insecurity;
fear of old age economic insecurity; desire to challenge stigma and negative stereotypes about disability, sexuality
and motherhood; and desire for self-actualisation, were key motivations for childbearing.
Conclusion: Our findings challenge existing negative public perceptions about the status of WWDs in relation to
sexuality, childbearing and motherhood. More importantly, our findings suggest that if the Sustainable
Development Goals related to universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare are to be attained, WWDs
must be targeted with quality sexual and reproductive healthcare information and services.
Description
CITATION: Ganle, J. K., et al. 2020. They are my future : childbearing desires and motivations among women with disabilities in Ghana - implications for reproductive healthcare. Reproductive Health, 17:151, doi:10.1186/s12978-020-01000-y.
The original publication is available at http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/
The original publication is available at http://www.reproductive-health-journal.com/
Keywords
Women with disabilities, Women with disabilities, Handicapped women, Physically handicapped women, Childbirth -- Women -- Ghana, Birth -- Women -- Ghana, Motherhood -- Social aspects -- Ghana, Women -- Sexuality, Reproductive health -- Women, Sexual health -- Women
Citation
Ganle, J. K., et al. 2020. They are my future : childbearing desires and motivations among women with disabilities in Ghana - implications for reproductive healthcare. Reproductive Health, 17:151, doi:10.1186/s12978-020-01000-y