Sexuality and dating in disabled youth
Dating, sex, and romance are a standard part of life for many of us. This often begins when we are young. If you have been through this phase, you may find it easier to recognise that sexuality and dating are often very complicated and are highly personal experiences. For a young person with a long-term illness or disability, it might even feel like there’s a whole extra bundle of complications on top of everything else.
Disability can be associated with factors like social stigmas and relying on the support of others. This can get in the way of how young people meet potential partners and develop relationships [1]. They may also have important routines regarding things like medication and treatments that could mean their time is more restricted [2].
Many young disabled people have expressed fear around being rejected by potential partners, worrying that they might not be considered attractive or won’t be thought of as a romantic partner because of their disability [3].
Getting on just fine
Despite these barriers, young disabled people do have active sex lives. Some studies suggest that disabled adolescents may even be at greater risk of having unsafe sex.
While some studies showed relatively low sexual activity among young disabled people [1] [4], others showed only minor differences between adolescents with and without disabilities when it comes to having sex, exploring sexual orientation, and the age of first sexual experiences [5].
It depends largely on the type of illness or disability you are dealing with. In one example, a study showed that young people with diabetes defined their relationship more by companionship than by physical intimacy, leading to longer lasting relationships [2].
What do you need to know?
One of the major risks for young disabled people is a lack of proper sex education. Despite what we know about the active sex lives of disabled people, there remains a misconception that disabled people aren’t sexual or aren’t interested in sex [6].
This can mean safe sex practices aren’t discussed by parents and educators as much as they should be, which can lead to higher rates of STDs and unplanned pregnancies in this demographic [7] [8].
Some research even suggests that disabled people have more sex than their non-disabled contemporaries and may even be more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviour [9].
So while a chronic illness or disability can complicate sexual development, it doesn’t necessarily get in the way of it or change it. Young disabled people are going through very similar experiences to their non-disabled friends [10]. The more we talk about this, the more we can do to make sure sexual education is available for – and tailored to – everyone.
Bibliography
[1] Kef, S., & Bos, H. (2006). Is love blind? Sexual behavior and psychological adjustment of adolescents with blindness. Sexuality and disability, 24(2), 89-100.
[2] Seiffge-Krenke, I. (2000). Diversity in Romantic Relations of Adolescents with Varying Health Status Links to Intimacy in Close Friendships. Journal of Adolescent Research, 15(6), 611-636.
[3] Gordon, P. A., Tschopp, M. K., & Feldman, D. (2004). Addressing issues of sexuality with adolescents with disabilities. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 21(5), 513-527.
[4] McCabe, M. P., & Taleporos, G. (2003). Sexual esteem, sexual satisfaction, and sexual behavior among people with physical disability. Archives of sexual behavior, 32(4), 359-369.
[5] Surís, J. C., Resnick, M. D., Cassuto, N., & Blum, R. W. (1996). Sexual behavior of adolescents with chronic disease and disability. Journal of adolescent health, 19(2), 124-131.
[6] Murphy, N., & Young, P. C. (2005). Sexuality in children and adolescents with disabilities. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 47(09), 640-644.
[7] Cheng, M. M., & Udry, J. R. (2002). Sexual behaviors of physically disabled adolescents in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 31(1), 48-58.
[8] Greydanus, D. E., Pratt, H. D., & Patel, D. R. (2012). Concepts of contraception for adolescent and young adult women with chronic illness and disability. Disease-a-Month, 58(5), 258-320.
[9] Sawyer, S. M., Drew, S., Yeo, M. S., & Britto, M. T. (2007). Adolescents with a chronic condition: challenges living, challenges treating. The Lancet, 369(9571), 1481-1489.
[10] Taylor, R. M., Gibson, F., & Franck, L. S. (2008). The experience of living with a chronic illness during adolescence: a critical review of the literature. Journal of clinical nursing, 17(23), 3083-3091.
