Abstract
Background: Deaf and hard-of-hearing (DHH) women experience worse birth outcomes (i.e., preterm birth and low birth weight) when compared to their hearing peers. DHH women encounter significant communication and healthcare barriers, and it is unclear how these barriers affect their reproductive health. Our study aimed to explore DHH women’s experiences with prenatal care access, pregnancy, and childbirth. This will guide the development of a national survey to learn more about unmet needs and barriers to perinatal care of DHH women across the USA.
Methods: We completed 19 (16 Deaf, 3 HH) semi-structured qualitative interviews with DHH women aged 21-50 who gave birth in the past 5 years. Interviews were conducted at Rochester, NY, Chicago, IL, and Rio Grande Valley, TX. Background questionnaires were collected about their pregnancy, birth experiences, and access to prenatal care.
Results: Current participants were Deaf, predominantly white, married, and well-educated. Thematic analyses revealed that most common challenges during their pregnancy experiences occurred during transition of care between OB/GYNs, inconsistent communication access, and difficulty accessing health information. However, when the Deaf participants were able to choose and use ASL interpreters, they had more positive birth experiences. Those who proactively self-advocated were able to exhibit autonomy in their birth plan and reported better access to pregnancy and birth information.
Conclusion: Our findings show that DHH women experience unique challenges but when provided communication access, they experienced more positive pregnancies. Systematic changes are needed to ensure accessible prenatal and antenatal care, education, and services.