Perinatal care experiences of women living with disability in Africa: a qualitative systematic review protocol.

Objective: This review will explore the perinatal care experiences of women living with disability in African countries.

Introduction: In many African countries, most women with disability face stigma and discrimination. They are also at risk of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases due to gender-based violence and sexual abuse. Qualitative studies on perinatal care experiences of women with disability in Africa indicate challenges such as social stereotypes, lack of access to health facilities, and insensitivity from health professionals. Synthesizing the qualitative findings about the perinatal care experiences of women with disability in Africa will provide insights into the needs of this population and identify gaps in health care practice.

Inclusion Criteria: We will include all settings in which women with disability in Africa receive maternal health care services, such as hospitals, clinics, primary care, community health centers, and homes. We will consider studies published from 2008 onward that present qualitative data, including designs such as phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, action research, and feminist research.

Methods: The review will be conducted in line with the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of qualitative evidence. The following databases will be searched: Global Health, CINHAL (EBSCOhost), MEDLINE (Ovid), Web of Science, Embase (Ovid), Sabinet African Journals, and PsycINFO (EBSCOhost). Theses and dissertations will be searched through ProQuest and Google Scholar. Two independent reviewers will conduct study selection, critical appraisal, data extraction, and meta-aggregation. Confidence in the findings will be assessed in accordance with the ConQual approach.

Systematic Review Registration Number: PROSPERO CRD42023431799.