The Importance of Preconception Care for Women With Disabilities

Abstract

Overall estimates of the number of women with disabilities in the United States range from 16.8 to 28.6 million, or approximately one in every five women A large percentage of these women are in their reproductive years, and they often encounter greater obstacles to receiving health care than women without disabilities Some disabling conditions, such as spinal cord injury (SCI) and multiple sclerosis (MS), have low prevalence rates but are more common in the reproductive age group. Such conditions are often associated with a greater severity of disability and increased need for specialized services, including prenatal care Health care professionals need to be aware of the reproductive health care issues facing women with disabilities and take every opportunity to address them.