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Sexuality and disability


Sexuality and disability is sexual behavior and practices of disabled people. Disabled people have a range of sexual desires and differ in the ways they choose to express their sexuality. Commonly, people with disabilities lack sex education that would assist in their sexual lives. This roots from the idea that disabled people are asexual in nature and are not sexually active. Although some disabled people are asexual, it is a misconception to label all as such. Many disabled people lack rights and privileges to have intimacy and relationships. When it comes to sexuality and disability there is a sexual discourse that surrounds it. The intersection of sexuality and disability is often associated with victimization, abuse, and purity.

For physical disabilities that change a person's sexual functioning, such as spinal cord injury there are methods, that assist where needed. A disabled person may enjoy sex with the help of sex toys and physical aids (such as bed modifications), by finding suitable sex positions, or through the services provided by a qualified sex worker.

Much of the sexual biases in the United States are traced back to Puritan ethics. Issues on the acceptance of sexuality and disability root back to 2000 years. The review of history on sexuality in philosophy, religion, and science leads to the modern day views on sexuality and disability. Religious institutions were the first entities to combat sexuality. They believed that sex was a sin and should not be practiced unless it was done with intents of reproducing. Then doctors began developing medical views on sex. Sexual pleasure was deemed a sickness. The taboo around sexuality being a disease and sin restricted many people from expressing their sexuality, especially disabled people.

After much groundbreaking research, it was not until the 20th century that sex and pleasure became normalized. With the normalization of sex, pleasure became the main focus. Healthy sex meant a good performance that led into an orgasm. If a person was not able to orgasm during sex they were seen as inadequate for sexual intercourse. With this a sex therapist would help the individual explore oral sex, and clitoral orgasm. When a person with a disability is not able to achieve an orgasm it was not seen as problematic, because they did not have sexual desires. The neglect on the sexual lives of people with disabilities roots from the idea that they are child like and asexual. Because disabled people do not fall under the category of being sexual, there were no resources for them to seek sexual assistance.


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