Conversations about health-Sharing the personal experiences of women with intellectual disabilities

Background The text presents the opinions of women with intellectual disabilities about their lives and experiences in Polish society. The key recurring issue in the participants' statements was health in the light of their disability and femininity. Methods For the purpose of this study, focus group interviews were conducted with 20 women with intellectual disabilities. The collected interviews were analysed with the use of constructivist grounded theory. Results During the analysis, five general thematic areas were distinguished: appearance and beauty, health and sickness, intimate relationships, friends and acquaintances, and self-determination. Conclusions The results of this research suggest that neither womanhood nor disability, as such, are perceived by the study's participants as a burden or health problem in any of the aforementioned areas. Moreover, the participants identified sources of oppression, as well as the means of opposing them, for example cooperation, and claiming the right to self-determination.