Sexual and reproductive health rights of deaf women and girls in Uganda

Abstract

This study sought to examine sexual and reproductive health rights of deaf women and girls in Uganda. Specifically, the study sought to i) establish the lived experiences of deaf women and girls in accessing sexual and reproductive health rights in Mbale District, Uganda; ii) examine the challenges faced by deaf women and girls in accessing sexual and reproductive health rights in Mbale District, Uganda; and iii) establish the contribution of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and the government as a duty bearer towards implementing sexual and reproductive health rights of deaf women and girls in Mbale District. The study was conducted in Mbale, using a qualitative approach involving focus group discussions, key informant interviews and document analysis. It integrated local knowledge in problem framing, research question formulation, and adaptation of the deaf epistemology and data collection instruments to local needs of deaf women and girls as well as reflection of results and social learning processes for drawing conclusions and identifying needs for action. The findings from the study revealed that i) knowledge of human rights principles and SRHR awareness among deaf women and girls is generally low due to lack of SRHR messages tailored to their linguistic needs; ii) contraceptive use and information among deaf women and girls is considerably low due to communication barrier; iii) high unwanted pregnancies among deaf women and girls was revealed due to lack of sexual education especially on safe sex; iv) drug abuse and misuse of contraceptive methods among deaf women and girls was also revealed due to lack of prescriptions and advises on how to use the methods in the health centres; and v) there is a glaring lack of appropriate maternal health programs and contraceptive messages tailored to the needs of deaf women and girls. While there were specific legal frameworks showing contribution of the government toward access of SRHR and CSOs, these were inadequate because they were not tailored toward the deaf women and girls. Conclusively, the adaptation of Deaf Epistemology: Deaf way of thinking is important in research spaces aimed at understanding the lived experiences of deaf people. Deaf epistemology relies heavily on personal testimonies and personal experiences, which amounted to the justified beliefs of the Deaf community. Clearly, adopting this paradigm as a valuable tool can aid in developing policies and practices aimed toward improved quality of health care services and education for deaf women and girls.

Keywords: Reproductive health rights, Sexuality, Deaf women and girls