Experiences, Barriers, and Facilitators to Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Access of People with Sensory Impairments: A Scoping Review

Disability is a varied experience resulting from the interaction of multiple factors: health conditions, personal, and environmental factors. People with Disabilities face various forms of discrimination within the healthcare sector, including the lack of accessible and appropriate services; information in accessible formats; coverage of communication needs; and access to information and communication technologies. Another area of hindrance is accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. This scoping review aims to identify facilitators and barriers related to accessing SRH services and the experiences of people with sensory impairment (PwSI) in them. The review includes 37 articles reporting on facilitators and barriers to SRH services. Findings include less access to SRH and awareness in how to access SRH services, mainly among young people, and less comprehensive knowledge about modern contraceptive methods possibly determined by the lack of adequate and inclusive sexual information. These results support the idea of including accessible SRH materials, training providers on the needs of people with sensory disabilities, removing barriers to sexuality education and health services, to address the disadvantages faced by PwSI and provide them with access to health care which is a basic right.