Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Receipt Among Female Adolescents and Young Adults With Disability in the United...

This study reports rates of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care receipt among female adolescents and young adults (AYA), comparing results for those with and without disability, stratified by age and disability type. We examined five SRH service areas: (1) sexual health risk assessment, (2) physical examination; (3) sexually transmitted infections prevention, testing, and treatment; (4) contraceptive counseling; and (5) prescription contraceptives.

We analyzed publicly available data from the National Survey of Family Growth, combining data for women aged 15-25 years (n = 8,242) across four waves (2011-2019). We compared any disability stratified by two age groupings (15-20; 21-25 years) and disability type groups (sensory/physical disability, cognitive disability) to those without disability using Chi-square statistic and modified Poisson regression.

Among sexually active respondents, less than 56% received a sexual health risk assessment from their medical provider, and less than half received sexually transmitted infections testing, regardless of disability status. Compared to nondisabled female AYA, those with disability were less likely to receive human papillomna virus vaccination. The results for prescription contraceptive use varied among age and disability subgroups.

Overall low rates of sexual health risk assessment suggest a need for more comprehensive SRH care for female AYA. Differences in the receipt of vaccinations and use of contraceptives may lead to increased risk of negative health outcomes for disabled AYA. These findings add to our understanding of SRH receipt for female AYA with disability, underscoring the need for more research to better grasp their reproductive health care needs and service receipt.