(Picture: Word Cloud with the words sexual health large in the middle. Other words include protection, disease, sex, medicine, healthcare, etc.)
Sexual health education is often neglected when it comes to youth with disabilities. Factors that hinder youth with disabilities access to sexual education can be sexual education curricula not tailored to meet the needs of this population and families having anxiety about their child being exposed to sex and wanting to protect them from it. However, we know that children with disabilities are 2.9 times more likely to be sexually abused and 4.6 times more likely if they have an intellectual or mental health disability when compared to children without disabilities (Smith & Harrell, 2013). However, with appropriate training and education, parents can play an integral role in informal sexuality education for their youth with a disability in a cost-effective way (Clatos & Asare, 2016). By not talking about sexual health with youth with disabilities, we are doing them a disservice and setting them up for lack of control and autonomy over their bodies. Youth with disabilities are sexual beings, just like typically developing youth and deserve the right to have accurate information and control when it comes to their sexuality.
According to the Advocates for Youth (Szydlowski, 2016), here are a few guidelines that parents can use when talking about sexuality and sexual health with youth who have a disability:
Begin talking about sexuality when your child is young. You don’t want to wait until the child reaches puberty to start having these conversations.
Educate yourself first and know what resources are appropriate for your child’s individual needs. Since these conversations can be challenging to have in the first place, it is essential to understand what information is the most important and how to appropriately share it with your child at a level that is right for their needs. There are curricula and other resources out there that have been developed to assist with sexual health education at different developmental levels.
Ensure to use appropriate language for body parts and functions when having these conversations. When children have accurate information on these things, they are often more likely to report abuse.
Use everyday moments as a way to teach and begin these conversations. These can be perfect opportunities to ease into the conversation about sexuality and health. (Examples: A friends marriage coming up or a family member new pregnancy)
Be patient with your child and know you will have to repeat the information multiple times. Topics discussed around sexual health can be complicated and abstract at times, so it is essential to recognize that the youth may not completely understand it the first time around. It may take multiple conversations for it to sink in.
Below are a few resources that can be useful in learning more about sexual health and sexuality for parents and youth with disabilities:
References
Clatos, K., & Asare, M. (2016). Sexuality Education Intervention for Parents of Children with Disabilities: A Pilot Training Program. American journal of health studies, 31(3), 151–162.
Smith, N. & Harrell, S. (2013). Sexual Abuse of Children with disabilities: A National Snapshot. Vera Institute of Justice: A Issue Brief, 1- 12
Sydlowski, M. (2016). Sexual Health Education for Young People with Disabilities: Research and Resources for Parents. Guardians. Retrieved from https://advocatesforyouth.org/wp-content/uploads/storage//advfy/documents/Factsheets/sexual-health-education-for-young-people-with-disabilities-parentsguardians.pdf
