Credit: pexels
Access to sexual and reproductive health care is a fundamental right for everyone. This regardless of physical or mental status. However, in Africa, access to these rights often remains limited for people with disabilities. Benin is no exception to this sad reality. Africa today has a significant population of people with disabilities with estimates of up to 80 million people. These disabilities can be physical, sensory, intellectual or psychosocial.
For most cases, the origin of these disabilities is often linked to difficult living conditions and limited access to education but especially to care or lack of health care. Cultural stigmas deeply rooted in African societies may also be part of the causes of the rejection of these disabled people.
Worse, these people with disabilities are often faced with multiple barriers when it comes to accessing sexual and reproductive health. Access is justified and observed at all levels. This is what Borgui Orou Wari, social worker at the Tchaourou social promotion center and head of the service for the care of disabled people and the elderly, tells us.
Propos collected par : Fachari ABOUDOU
Sex education in Africa is often limited and very inaccessible to people with disabilities. As the majority of people with disabilities mention, their parents do not give them any information or lead any discussions related to their sexuality. At school and also in health centers, educational programs are not tailored to their specific needs, which can lead to a lack of understanding of issues related to sexual health.
Access to the center: An indescribable ordeal
Credit: Handicap International
Health facilities in Benin are often not adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. Access ramps, adapted toilets and other special facilities are not common, or almost non-existent. This makes it difficult for people with disabilities to reach health facilities. “Every time I get sick and have to go to the hospital, it’s a problem for me because I have to negotiate to be taken there. Despite this, I have already fallen several times because I miss the stairs or sometimes I feel that the hospital is in a hole. So you have to go down. Which means that I slip or stumble despite the presence of my companion” Explains Mohamed Djibril, a visually impaired person living in Parakou in the north of Benin.
For Aboudou Barikissou, physically disabled, every time she has to go to the Beninese Association for the Promotion of the Family (ABPF) in Parakou, she feels her privacy violated. First she states that she must be accompanied by a person who will guide her because of the multiple stairs there. Then she cannot communicate with the agents who work there because of her very low level of French.
Realities to correct
Credit: Freepik
Benin is no exception when it comes to the challenges faced by people with disabilities when it comes to sexual health. Moreover, it is one of the countries where we must redouble our ardor and effort for a fulfilling sexual life of people with disabilities. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the country has around 7% people with disabilities among its total population. This represents a significant proportion of the population who may face barriers to accessing sexual health services. So, so that such a large part of the population is not sidelined, we must find solutions and possible solutions adapted to the specific needs of people with disabilities. According to a survey conducted by Handicap International in 2018, only 17% of people with disabilities surveyed in Benin reported having access to sexual health services adapted to their needs.
Credit: Freepik
Aside from issues related to access, stigma and discrimination remain major problems for people with disabilities in the northern regions of the country. According to a study by the National Union of Associations of Disabled People of Benin (UNAPHB), nearly 80% of disabled people surveyed said they had been victims of discrimination because of their disability.
Sex education for people with disabilities
The lack of sex education adapted to people with disabilities is also worrying. According to the 2018 Handicap International survey in Benin, less than 10% of people with disabilities surveyed in Benin had received appropriate sex education. Women with disabilities in Benin are particularly vulnerable to unwanted pregnancies due to lack of access to contraceptive information and social pressures to have children. The same survey reveals that only 6% of disabled women in Benin reported having access to contraceptive services. However, these women are most of the time played and betrayed by certain men who are only interested in them for sex.
Let’s listen to Mounirou Lafia, president of the Network of Associations of Disabled People of Borgou, for a testimony which corroborates this idea.
Mounirou Lafia, president of the Network of Associations of Disabled People of Borgou (Benin) in full interview
Credit: Fachari ABOUDOU
Healthy Initiativess
Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Benin are working to raise awareness and provide sex education adapted to people disabled. These programs aim to break stereotypes and build self-confidence among people with disabilities. Apart from these NGOs, theBeninese Association for the Promotion of the Family (ABPF) has been working in this direction for many years. This is what Mounirou Lafia, president of the Network of Associations of Disabled People of Borgou, told us during our discussions.
Poster produced in 2021 during the implementation of the PSDSR project for the improvement of the health system for disabled people in Parakou in northern Benin
Credit: Fachari ABOUDOU
Some health facilities in Benin have undertaken renovations to make their facilities accessible to people with disabilities. This includes the creation of ramps, adapted toilets and counseling services specific to the needs of people with disabilities. Benin has adopted laws aimed at protecting the rights of people with disabilities, including their right to sexual and reproductive health. However, effective implementation of these laws remains a challenge. It is essential that governments, NGOs and civil society continue to work together to ensure that all people, regardless of disability, can exercise their sexual and reproductive health rights. This requires a long-term commitment to break down the barriers that currently hinder access to these services.