Interactions of Women with Physical Disability with Health Care Clinicians During Pregnancy

The number of women with physical disabilities becoming pregnant each year is increasing, but many report problematic interactions with health care clinicians, resulting in discomfort with their care. A descriptive qualitative study examined the unmet needs and barriers to perinatal care among women with physical disabilities. A sample of 25 women with diverse physical disabilities that limited their ability to walk or use their arms or hands and who had delivered babies in the past ten years was recruited through various means including social media. The resulting telephone interviews were transcribed, reviewed, and content analyzed. Women with physical disabilities reported both positive and negative experiences in their interactions with their health care clinicians. Three primary themes related to women’s interactions with their health care clinicians were identified:  1) clinicians’ lack of awareness about the sexuality and reproductive concerns of women with disabilities, 2) clinicians’ lack of knowledge about pregnancy-related needs of women with physical disabilities, and 3) the need for healthcare professionals to respect the knowledge and experience of women related to their own disability. Some women reported that their clinicians did not view them as normal and viewed their pregnancies negatively. Many clinicians had little knowledge about women’s disability, although some were willing to learn. Women valued clinicians who were willing to do research and who listened to them and acknowledged that they knew their own bodies and disability. These findings have important implications for women with disabilities seeking perinatal care and the health care professionals providing such care.