Contents
Introduction: Why a book about health for women with disabilities?...........................1
1. Disability and the community......................................................................................5
What is disability?......................................... 6 Wrong ideas about disability ..................... 15
Causes of disability..................................... 10 Working for change..................................... 16
2. Organizing for disability-friendly health care...........................................................29
Root causes of problems............................. 31 Learning about disability............................ 41
Health care is a human right for all.............. 33 Helping women with
Making health services easier to use................35 particular disabilities...............................43
Make buildings easier to use.......................... 38 Working for change.....................................44
3. Mental health..............................................................................................................49
Challenges to mental health......................50 Serious mental illness (psychosis) ............ 59
Depression...................................................54 Working towards mental health.................60
Trauma......................................................... 56 Forming support groups............................. 65
4. Understanding your body..........................................................................................71
When a girl’s body starts to change
A woman’s reproductive system................. 77
(puberty).................................................. 71 Infertility...................................................... 81
Monthly bleeding (menstruation) ............ 74 Creating a family through adoption...............83
5. Taking care of your body............................................................................................85
Eat well for good health..............................86 Monthly bleeding ..................................... 109
Keep your body moving..............................88 Infections caused by yeast........................ 111
Contractures................................................ 94 Pressure sores............................................. 114
Preventing common problems................... 96 Dysreflexia................................................. 117
Bladder control.......................................... 101 Managing pain...........................................120
Urinary infections..................................... 105 Working for change................................... 121
Bowel control............................................. 107 Easier to use toilets and latrines...............123
6. Health exams............................................................................................................125
What regular health exams
The pelvic exam ........................................130
can tell you.............................................126 Other exams to stay healthy..................... 135
The breast exam ........................................128 Working for change...................................136
7. Sexuality....................................................................................................................139
Harmful beliefs about disabled
Different ways of having sex.................... 147
women’s sexuality.................................. 140 Possible problems during sex................... 151
Learning about sexuality.......................... 142 Working for change...................................154
8. Sexual health: preventing sexually transmitted infections including hiv/aids..........157
Trichomonas.............................................. 159
Gonorrhea and chlamydia....................... 160
Sores on the genitals................................. 163
Genital herpes and genital warts................. 165
Hepatitis..................................................... 167
What is HIV/AIDS..................................... 169
Treatment for HIV/AIDS........................... 176
Preventing infection at home................... 179
Safer sex......................................................180
Working for change................................... 182