Exercising choice and control - women with learning disabilities and contraception

Author:
McCARTHY Michelle
Journal article citation:
British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 38(4), December 2010, pp.293-302.
Publisher:
Wiley

This research project investigated contraception use amongst women with learning disabilities. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were held with 23 women with learning disabilities, aged between 20 and 51, about their experience of being prescribed contraception. In addition, a postal survey was returned by 162 general practitioners across two counties in England which included questions about their contraception prescribing practices to women with learning disabilities, and how they dealt with issues of capacity to consent to treatment. A service user group was also involved at different stages of the project. Most of the women reported that other people had made the key decisions about starting to use contraception and which method to use. Both the women and the doctors said they liked having a third party, such as a staff member or relative, present for the consultations. Many of the doctors were unclear about responding to issues of capacity to consent to treatment. The article discusses: the constraints on the women’s ability to make choices; the presence of carers in medical consultations; responding to capacity issues; and the need for training for healthcare professionals. An accessible research summary was produced to make the process and findings of the research available to the women with learning disabilities who took part in the study, as well as to any others who were interested, and extracts of this are included in this article.

Subject terms:
informed consent, learning disabilities, women, choice, contraception, general practitioners;
Content type:
research
Location(s):
England
Link:
Journal home page
ISSN online:
1468-3156
ISSN print:
1354-4187

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