Sexuality and Wellbeing in People with Moderate Intellectual Disability: Cross‐ ‐Sectional Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51338/rppsm.420Keywords:
Intellectual Disability, Psychological Well‐Being, Quality of Life, Sexual Health, SexualityAbstract
Introduction: Intellectual disability (ID) has historically been ignored and has only recently begun to receive greater recognition through studies aimed at improving the quality of life of individuals with ID. One area of concern is sexual health, which has been widely neglected, with limited positive experiences and prevalent negative attitudes towards sexuality in this population. This became a prominent issue when the first cases of HIV were reported as a result of frequent sexual abuse. This led to the implementation of sexual education programs. Prior to this, sexuality was repressed by the caregivers and relatives of individuals with ID, and this can still be observed today. This study aims to identify the connections between indicators of sexual health and well‐being of individuals with ID, while also evaluating their levels of knowledge, experiences, needs, sexual attitudes, and their vulnerability to sexual abuse and their assertive responses in situations of sexual coercion.
Material and Methods: We enrolled a total of 86 persons with moderate intellectual disability (49 men 37 women) all aged 18 or older and not institutionalized, from the northern region of Portugal. The instruments used were the Sexuality Knowledge, Experience and Needs Scale for People with Intellectual Disability (SexKen‐ID), which assesses issues related to sexual health, and the Personal Wellbeing Index – Intellectual Disability (PWI‐ID), that evaluates for personal wellbeing.
Results: The results suggest that people with moderate ID have low levels of knowledge, experience, high needs and negative feelings towards sexuality. In terms of sexual abuse, they exhibit limited assertiveness in responding to such situations. There was no significant correlation found between sexuality and wellbeing among individuals with ID.
Conclusion: The limited knowledge about sexuality makes individuals with intellectual disability vulnerable, highlighting the importance of implementing education and wellness programs to promote healthy sexual expression and enhance their ability to handle situations and emotions related to sexual abuse.
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