Evaluation of sexual reproductive health needs of women with spinal cord injury in Tehran, Iran

Physical disability is one of the factors influencing the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of people. Women with a severe disability receive fewer Pap smear tests, regular mammography examinations, and sex education. This study was carried out to identify the SRH needs of women with spinal cord injuries (SCI) in Tehran (Iran) in 2019. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using the SRHNA-SCI validation tool. The study included married Iranian women between the ages of 18 and 55 years, who had SCI. and were registered with the Welfare Organization of Tehran. A total of 78 questionnaires were collected for statistical analysis. The mean age of the participants was 41.73 ± 8.42 years and they were mainly high school graduates with diplomas (35.9%), housewives (85.9%), and patients with thoracic injuries (61.5%). The SRH needs of women with SCI were the need for improving the quality of services (98.87 ± 2.34%), social needs (98.66 ± 3.03%), the need for services of the Welfare Organization (98.04 ± 6.28%), personal needs (98.03 ± 4.59%), sexual needs (96.58 ± 7.66%), and educational needs (96.83 ± 5.32%), respectively. The provision of low-quality SRH services is seemingly the most important preventive factor, while the absence of family and community support is the factor influencing the promotion of the SRH of women with SCI. Therefore, the attainment of this goal is contingent on the cooperation and interaction of different organizations such as the Ministry of Health, the municipality, the insurance organization, the Welfare Organization, and non-governmental organizations.