So from Here Where Do We Go? A Focus on the Sexuality of Women with Disabilities in Africa: A Narrative Review

Abstract

This article is a narrative review of literature pertaining to the sexuality of women with disabilities in Africa. The review was undertaken through searching electronic databases namely, CINAHL, African e-Journals, MEDLINE, JSTOR, PubMed, and Web of Science; a general internet search was also undertaken. Focus was mainly on literature written in English over the past three decades (1987–2018), and search words that were used to draw publications included disability, disabled women, women with disabilities, disabled sexuality, disability and womanhood, gender and disability, sexuality, sexual experiences, womanhood, female sexuality, sexuality of disabled women in Africa, spinal cord injury, sexual health, psychosocial impairment, deaf women, blind women, women with albinism and women with epilepsy. The findings of the review indicate a paucity of literature on the subject, albeit a developing interest on the topic, particularly over the past decade. Furthermore, there is evidence that the intersection of disability, gender and culture adds a layer of disadvantage to the sexual experiences of women on the continent. In addition, heterosexuality is generally assumed for women with disabilities at the expense of different sexual orientations. Research that facilitates the voice of women with disabilities of all sexual orientations in Africa is likely to empower the women, to both independently and jointly redefine and affirm their sexuality in ways that promote their health and well-being.