Advocacy and Learning Disability

Wishart, Guy

doi:10.7748/ldp.6.8.26.s15

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Access to menstrual health information and support may be more problematic for women with learning disabilities reflecting wider healthcare barriers and inequalities (Emerson, et al, 2016; Glover et al, 2017). Concerns have been raised about the overuse of contraception to manage or suppress menstruation (Rodgers, 1999) and healthcare professionals have described different approaches to problematic menstruation when a person has a learning disability, including delays caused by addressing the capacity to consent to treatment and diagnostic overshadowing (McKinlay et al, 1996; Rodgers, 1999; Wishart et al, 1998). More recently, McAteer has argued that the lack of research and awareness on menopause for this population may be impacting the quality of care that they receive (McAteer, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Menstruation and learning disability across the life course: Using a two‐part scoping exercise to co‐produce research priorities

Earle,

Ledger,

Newton

et al. 2024

Brit J Learn Disabil

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

BackgroundAcross the life course, women and girls with learning disabilities and their carers report difficulties in accessing information and support with menstruation, yet their experiences are often overlooked in initiatives to improve menstrual health and wellbeing. Our aim was to collaborate with women with learning disabilities to co‐produce future research priorities in a UK context.MethodsWe undertook a two‐part scoping exercise to explore what is known about this topic from a life course perspective, beginning pre‐menarche and extending to post‐menopause support. This combined a rapid scoping review of the literature since 1980 with a stakeholder consultation where people with learning disabilities, family carers, advocacy groups and staff working across education, health and social care were invited to share their experiences of menstruation support.FindingsUK and international literature provided insight across five narrative themes. Seventy stakeholders took part in our consultation, enabling the identification of five key themes. Findings across both highlight examples of supportive practice and valued resources alongside enduring health inequalities and barriers to menstruation support faced by women and girls with learning disabilities across the life course.ConclusionOur scoping exercise identified multiple gaps in research and practice, ongoing reproductive health inequalities and a need for improved access to peer support, resources and training that take a life course approach. The scoping exercise indicates the need for further empirical research on menstruation and learning disability, with a particular focus on collating people's lived experiences.

show abstract