Overview:
In France, more than 230,000 women live with intellectual disabilities. Since 2009, midwives have been authorised to provide preventive gynaecological care to healthy women, including those with disabilities. However, only 34% of women living in medical-social care institutions receive such care. Whether the disability is physical, sensory, psychological, or intellectual, delivering sexual and reproductive healthcare to women with disabilities requires specific adaptations that should be addressed during initial training. Nevertheless, the integration of such content appears inconsistent across midwifery schools. To date, no national study has assessed student midwives’ perceived competence in this area.

Aims and Objectives:
This study aimed, firstly, to assess the perceived competence of French student midwives in supporting women with disabilities during preventive gynaecological care, using Bandura’s model. Secondly, it sought to identify the barriers and challenges reported by students in caring for this population.

Method:
A descriptive, cross-sectional observational study was conducted between August 2024 and January 2025. Final-year student midwives enrolled in 2024 and 2025 were surveyed via an online questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson’s Chi-squared test.

Results:
A total of 192 responses were analysed : 63.5% of students reported a partial sense of competence; only 37% declared having received formal teaching on disability, and fewer than 40% had received training on gynaecological care in this context. Supervised clinical experience during placements involving the care of women with intellectual disabilities was significantly associated with a higher perceived sense of competence (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:
The standardisation of initial training programmes to enhance students’ perceived competence is essential to adequately address the needs of all women. In this regard, the midwifery education reform anticipated by 2027 represents a strategic lever to adjust curricula, improve perinatal health outcomes, and contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.