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Access to sexual health services for women with psychiatric disabilities

Research suggests that women with psychiatric disabilities may experience particular sexual health vulnerabilities and a need for associated sexual health services. These vulnerabilities include increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS; lower rates of contraceptive use; unplanned and unwanted pregnancies; and higher rates of gender-based violence, including childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault and rape in adulthood, and intimate partner violence. Our project was guided by two overarching goals: (1) to develop an understanding of sexual health service access for women with psychiatric disabilities, and (2) to create evidence-informed recommendations for enhancing access to equitable, quality sexual health services for this group.