Study on Women with Disabilities Health published in Israel HaYom

Since the War Broke Out, Women with Disabilities Have Been Forgoing Medical Checkups

A new study led by Beit Issie Shapiro in collaboration with Bar-Ilan University has revealed significant barriers faced by women with disabilities when accessing women’s healthcare services. • Among other findings, the study identified systemic, social, and emotional barriers affecting their access to healthcare services.

By Meital Yasur-Beit-Or | May 26, 2025

This version is a translation of a Hebrew article that appeared in Israel Hayom. The original article can be found here.

Dismissive attitudes, accessibility gaps and fears, and even giving up essential treatments: a new study reveals complicated feelings and significant barriers experienced by women with disabilities when navigating the women’s healthcare system.

The study was led by Dr. Dana Roth from Beit Issie Shapiro, in collaboration with Dr. Yael Karni-Wiesel and Professor Shiri Shanan-Altman from the School of Social Work at Bar-Ilan University. It highlights the insensitivity, lack of physical accessibility, and communication difficulties, alongside significant disparities between women with and without disabilities. Conducted among 1,874 women, including 250 women with disabilities, the study reveals a stark picture of systemic, social, and emotional barriers affecting their access to healthcare services.

The study identified three main barriers affecting women in general, and women with disabilities in particular. The first barrier is fear of the examination itself, which stems from a lack of clear information, feelings of embarrassment, and a sense of losing control during the procedure. The second barrier stems from past experiences of disrespectful treatment, including feelings of being dismissed, rushed examinations, and impatience on the part of medical staff. The third barrier involves physical and communication obstacles, such as geographic distance, lack of accessibility, language barriers, and the need for accompaniment.

The researchers found significant disparities in the use of women’s healthcare services between women with and without disabilities. For example, women with disabilities tend to avoid essential medical screenings at higher rates than women without disabilities. Additionally, 20% of women with disabilities have never undergone a breast examination, compared to just 12% of women without disabilities. Since the outbreak of the war, the situation has worsened: one-fifth of women with disabilities reported a sharp decrease in their use of women’s healthcare services, twice the rate of women without disabilities, despite their health being significantly worse.

Women with disabilities reported not only poorer health but also more frequent experiences of disrespectful treatment by medical staff and lower levels of social support compared to women without disabilities. Gynecological examinations were more common among women without disabilities, especially among those who were younger, had higher incomes, and had strong social support. For women with disabilities, experiences of disrespect from medical staff are directly linked to avoiding gynecological follow-up, while having social support encouraged them to seek screenings. These patterns were not observed among women without disabilities. Additionally, the issue of clinic accessibility is particularly prominent for women with disabilities. Since the war began, there has been an overall decline in the use of women’s healthcare services among all women, highlighting the urgent need for solutions.

Impacted by Treatment

The study revealed significant barriers preventing women, especially those with disabilities, from undergoing gynecological and breast examinations. Among the most prominent obstacles were a fear of the examination and a lack of accessible information about the medical procedure, treatment options, and the potential consequences of interventions such as hormonal therapies. Women with disabilities described difficult experiences marked by insensitivity on the part of medical staff, including rushed exams, impatience, and a failure to accommodate physical or communication needs. While similar barriers were also found among women without disabilities, they were reported much less frequently.

The findings show that women with disabilities are deeply affected by the way they are treated within the healthcare system and the social support they have. When they encounter disrespect from doctors or medical staff, the likelihood of them attending routine gynecological follow-ups drops significantly. In contrast, a strong social support network increases the chances they will seek out medical screenings. Interestingly, this connection was not found among women without disabilities, highlighting the unique impact that respectful treatment and social support have on how women with disabilities engage with healthcare services.

The study calls for systemic changes within the healthcare system to help these women. These changes include understanding the barriers they face, training medical staff in gender and accessibility sensitivity, and ensuring that services are tailored for each woman. It also emphasizes the importance of consulting and involving women with disabilities in shaping their experience with women’s healthcare services and paying special attention to their needs during war, a time when medical concerns are often neglected, primarily due to stress. Finally, the study highlights the need to improve physical infrastructure in clinics and hospitals.

Dr. Dana Roth noted, “This is the first study to specifically examine women with disabilities, a group that has been largely ‘absent’ in previous research and the few surveys conducted on the subject. Our goal is to drive change by raising awareness among women about the importance of screenings and preventive care and influencing the healthcare system itself. The study calls for accessible services and improvements in planning, development, training, and policy, all aimed at supporting, enabling, and encouraging women with disabilities to access essential and potentially life-saving care.”