Population-level use of gynecological health services by female youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities in British Columbia Canada

Abstract

BackgroundThere is evidence that female youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD) experience poorer gynecological care compared to female youth without disabilities. ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to obtain baseline data on visits to a health care provider for a gynecological issue for females with IDD and compare that information to the experiences of female youth without IDD. MethodsThis study is a retrospective cohort study using population-level administrative health data from 2010 to 2019 for females aged 15–24 years, with and without IDD. Results6452 female youth with IDD and 637,627 female youth without IDD were identified in the data. Over the ten-year period, 53.77% of youth with IDD and 53.68% of youth without IDD had a visit to a physician for a gynecological issue. However, as females with IDD aged, the number of people seeing a physician for a gynecological issue decreased. In the group aged 20–24 years, 15.25% of females with IDD and 24.47% of females without IDD (p < 0.0001) had a Pap test done at any time; 25.94% of females with IDD had a visit for contraception management and 28.38% of females (p < 0.0001) without IDD had a visit for contraception management. Gynecological care also varied by type of IDD. ConclusionsFemales with IDD had a similar number of visits for a gynecological issue as female youth without IDD. However, the reasons for visits and the age at which visits occurred differed between youth with and without IDD. As females with IDD transition into adulthood, gynecological care must be maintained and improved.