THE SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN LIVING WITH DISABILITY IN LAGOS, NIGERIA.

Project summary

This qualitative study addressed the sexual and reproductive health needs and experiences of women with disabilities living in an urban context of the Surulere local government area of Lagos state, in South-western Nigeria. Fieldwork was carried out in 2024 and data were collected through observation, fieldnotes, individual and group interviews with 24 women living with a disability. The findings suggest that motherhood attained either biologically or through adoption, seems to be empowering and reconstructing of the negative societal perception most women with disability encounter. Indeed, true 'womanhood’ as dictated by cultural norms occurs with having offspring. Moreover, the study suggests that although support structures such as family and religious groups were contributory to positive reproductive health experiences, economic empowerment particularly through employment was highlighted as highly integral to fostering social inclusion and achieving the women’s needs. In bargaining their self-agency during pregnancy and birth, the women seemed to have developed various health-seeking strategies such as the synchronous use of traditional healing places, government health facilities and/or private healthcare to avail themselves more control over their reproductive choices. The study suggests that sexual and reproductive health services in Nigeria need to be disability inclusive while health care providers require continuous training to be able to offer adequate services. Disability specific economic support and welfare pension schemes that empower the women is critical and has implications on their health. Finally, although existing sexual and reproductive health and rights laws are comprehensive, they are still not fully implemented across the country. As the study was completed in June 2025, we are presently working on two publications based on its findings. See: https://nva.sikt.no/registration/0198f2c95223-e95b66c5-d70b-4ee0-be23-02698ffa8ac3