Perceptions about Barriers to Sexual and Reproductive Health Information and Services among Deaf People in Ghana
Purpose: This study aimed to provide insights into factors that influence the acquisition, accessibility, and utilisation of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) information and services by deaf people who communicate using Ghanaian Sign Language (GSL).
Methods: The study explored deaf people’s perceptions about barriers to SRH information and services in Ghana. There were 26 participants in 3 focus groups: 10 executives of Ghana National Association of the Deaf (GNAD), 7 deaf adult males and 9 deaf adult females. A key informant, who had experience in working with deaf people, was also interviewed. Review of documents and observations helped to clarify data gathered from the focus groups.
Results: Study findings indicated that when accessing SRH information and services in Ghana, deaf people encounter numerous barriers such as problems with communication, ignorance about deafness, negative attitudes, and services that are not customised to their needs.
Conclusion: If it is to succeed, any SRH programme for the deaf community must make the eradication of communication barriers a priority, since communication is fundamental to all challenges that deaf people encounter.Keywords
Attitudes
communication
deaf
Ghana
sexual health services
reproductive health services
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Wisdom Kwadwo Mprah (2013-11-06). Perceptions about Barriers to Sexual and Reproductive Health Information and Services among Deaf People in Ghana. Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development, Vol. 24 No. 3 (2013): Autumn, 21-36. https://doi.org/10.5463/dcid.v24i3.234
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Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License By-NC-ND 4.0 that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access ).
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