“But, You’re in a Wheelchair!”: A Systematic Review Exploring the Sexuality of Youth with Physical Disabilities

AbstractThe sexual agency of youth with physical disabilities is often unacknowledged and underdeveloped. Concerned adults often make decisions about sexual and reproductive care for youth with physical disabilities to protect them from adverse outcomes, such as sexual abuse. Additionally, sexuality resources available to youth with physical disabilities are often not specific to their disability, which may limit their ability to foster positive sexuality. We conducted a systematic review to understand the knowledge created through qualitative inquiry on the sexuality of youth with physical disabilities. We considered qualitative or mixed-method studies published between 1999 and 2021. The electronic databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Dissertations and Theses Global were searched, as well as the DuckDuckGo search engine for grey literature. Nineteen peer-reviewed studies and 10 grey literature sources were included. Six themes were identified: (1) Sexuality resources did not adequately support the sexual rights of youth with physical disabilities, (2) Parents of youth with disabilities feared their child was sexually vulnerable, (3) Many healthcare providers felt unprepared to discuss sexuality with youth with disabilities, (4) Youth with physical disabilities experienced discrimination related to their sexuality, (5) The sexual agency of youth with physical disabilities was often unrecognized, and (6) Youth with physical disabilities had diverse sexual experiences and iden...
Source: Sexuality and Disability - Category: Disability Source Type: research