HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Rapid Responses: Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when Rapid Responses are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Wilkinson, J. E. Articles by Cerreto, M. C. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Wilkinson, J. E. Articles by Cerreto, M. C.

Primary Care for Women with Intellectual Disabilities

From the Department of Family Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusettes

Correspondence: Corresponding author: Joanne E. Wilkinson, MD, MSc, Department of Family Medicine, Dowling 5, 840 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA 02118 (E-mail: Joanne.Wilkinson{at}bmc.org)

Women with intellectual disabilities (ID) need thoughtful, well-coordinated care from primary care physicians. They are particularly susceptible to experiencing disparities in care because of varied participation in shared decision making. This review of the current literature comments on the quantity and quality of existing studies regarding several key women's health issues: menstrual disorders, cervical and breast cancer screening, contraception, and osteoporosis. A review of the current thinking regarding ethical and legal issues in medical decision making for these women is also provided. We found that there are several high-quality studies recommending early and frequent screening for osteoporosis, which is more common in women with ID. Smaller and fewer studies comment specifically on techniques for accomplishing the gynecological examination in women with ID, although the cervical cancer screening recommendation should be individualized for these patients. Consensus data on the management of menstrual problems and contraception in women with ID is provided. There are some data on breast cancer incidence but few articles on methods to improve screening rates in women with ID.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. A. Bowman, A. V. Neale, and P. Lupo Record-Setting Usage and New Technological Opportunities J Am Board Fam Med, May 1, 2008; 21(3): 177 - 178. [Full Text] [PDF]