ThinkProgress, Oct 1, 2015 11:14am
For many women, getting a pap smear or a birth control prescription at a doctor’s office is relatively effortless. Perhaps a little uncomfortable, yes, but only temporarily — with important, beneficial results. However, not all women in need of reproductive health care find themselves able to be accommodated in a standard doctor’s office.
Women with disabilities are far less likely to make essential appointments regarding their reproductive health due to the physical and emotional hurdles they encounter in a typical clinic. From inaccessible exam tables to assumptions that disabled women are not sexually active, barriers in the medical field can leave women discouraged and uneducated about their own health.
The downloadable guide is meant specifically for women in the Chicago area — but only because it rates local hospitals and clinics for their accessibility. The rest covers more universal issues, including a patient’s accommodation rights and general information on sexually transmitted infections. A portion of the guide also specifically focuses on empowering women to stand up for themselves.