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Menstrual and contraceptive management in women with an intellectual disability
Author(s) -
Grover Sonia R
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04315.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pill , family medicine , family planning , intellectual disability , medroxyprogesterone acetate , gynecology , cohort study , cohort , population , nursing , psychiatry , research methodology , environmental health , hormone , pathology
Objective: To review the clinical management of young women with intellectual disabilities with menstrual and contraceptive concerns. Design: Prospective cohort study of all girls and young women with a significant intellectual disability and moderate to high support needs who presented at my gynaecology clinic for management of menstrual and contraception‐related issues in the period 1990–1999. Setting: Gynaecology clinic at the Centre for Adolescent Health, Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, and my private consulting rooms. Outcome measures: The clinical management options considered most appropriate for these women, including advice, reassurance, medication (oral contraceptive pill, non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs, depo‐medroxyprogesterone acetate, hormone replacement therapy) and surgical options. Results: For 2 of 107 young women, surgical approaches were required to manage their menstrual problems or contraception‐related issues. For the remainder of the women, information, advice or medical management were sufficient. Conclusions: Management of the menstrual and contraceptive needs of young women with an intellectual disability is similar in most cases to the management of non‐disabled women. Surgical management is required infrequently.