1. Sexuality and Sex Education for
Young Adults with Disabilities
PROVIDED BY MICHELLE UETZ
TRANSITION COORDINATOR FOR RIVER FALLS
SCHOOL DISTRICT
WISCONSIN TEACHER LICENSES IN SECONDARY
BIOLOGY, HEALTH AND SPECIAL EDUCATION

2. Objectives
 To make you uncomfortable enough to change your
thinking, but not so uncomfortable that you can’t handle
it.
 Give you tools, information and knowledge to be able to
effectively handle sexual concerns and/or situations.
 Make you more aware of the anatomical and
physiological functioning of people with disabilities in
regard to sexuality.
Michelle Uetz

3. Wiggle & Squirm
 Why does talking about sex and sexuality make us so
uncomfortable?
 It has been made a taboo topic to discuss by parents, media, society
and religions.
 We have been taught nick names for our reproductive parts since we
were young.
 Values and morals are part of sex and sexuality.
 It has been made into a dirty, and negative thing by media, society
and some religions.
These are the same reasons that people with disabilities are scared or
unable to deal with their feeling appropriately, or ask questions
about it.
Michelle Uetz

4. Getting Comfortable
 Research has shown time and time again that sex education
does not create sexual behaviors.
 It’s important to get comfortable enough to talk about sexual
issues
 Students/Clients will know if you are uncomfortable
 They will not feel comfortable talking to you about the issue.
 They will not be able to be honest with you.
 If you are comfortable enough (doesn’t mean you have to want
to hear every detail of their sex lives)
 Students/Clients will
 Talk to you about problems
 Ask for your help
Michelle Uetz

5. Problems from NOT Talking About “It”
 If young adults with disabilities are not taught about sex
and sexuality and have no one to talk to about it
problems can arise
 Abuse
 To Disabled Adult
 From Disabled Adult
 STIs
 Unplanned Pregnancy
 Emotional Distress
 Inappropriate Social Expression and Behavior
 Incarceration of Adult with Disabilities
Michelle Uetz

6. More Problems
 Abuse
 People with disabilities are at a greater risk for being sexually abused.
 STIs
 Unable to identify it, can cause other health problems
 Pregnancy
 Is the person physically able to carry a baby
 Is the couple able to physically and mentally take care of the baby
 Emotional Distress
 Emotional maturity does not always match physical maturity
 Inappropriate behavior
 Without knowledge and practice about what to do about their feelings, inappropriate
behaviors occur
 Incarceration
 Many articles about cognitively disabled sex offenders
Michelle Uetz

7. Abuse
 Research about abuse against people with disabilities is
difficult to discern because of the varying definitions and data
used in the research (Elman, 2005).
 An early study of women with a variety of disabilities
estimated this population to be one and a half times as likely
to have been sexually abused as their counterparts without
disabilities (Elman, 2005).
 When researchers focused on people with cognitive
disabilities, they found rates of sexual victimization ranged
from four to 10 times higher than for those without them
(Elman, 2005).
Michelle Uetz

8. Be Pro-Active
 One of the best ways to discuss risks without scaring people is
to take pro-active measures such as sex education (Elman,
2005).
 Sex education classes are used to offer and encourage
education and respect for people’s choices around sex.
However, these courses tend to be offered in environments
less accessible to those with disabilities (Elman, 2005).
 In addition, the lack of information on sexuality and people
with disabilities makes this education even more difficult
(Elman, 2005).
Michelle Uetz

9. Disability and Sexuality
 All human beings are social and sexual from the day they are born (Social
and Sexual Issues During Transition, 2007)
 People often mistakenly believe that people with disabilities are
asexual….however, they are human and thus are sexual beings. (Chance,
2000)
 Sexuality is controlled by hormones.
 It is as innate as breathing or your heart beating
 Even when an adult’s brain functions at the level of a child, their body is
still functioning at the same level as their actual age.
 When the body develops physically the brain and maturity may not develop
at the same rate.
Michelle Uetz

10. Sullivan and Caterino Study (Sullivan, 2008)
 Found that:
 75% of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) display
some kind of sexual behavior and most masturbate.
 As many as 16-25% of people with ASD have been sexually
abused.
 65% of people with ASD touch themselves in public, 23%
masturbate in public, and 28% remove their clothing in public.
 Clearly, impairments do not negate sexuality and the desires or
behaviors of it.
Michelle Uetz

11. Anatomy & Physiology
 The brain and intellectual functioning of adults with
disabilities is disabled.
 HOWEVER, their bodies still function and develop just as a nondisabled
person’s would
 People with disabilities still go through puberty, although, it
may come a little later than their peers, since their maturity
develops later.
 Women with disabilities still menstruate, develop breasts and
are able to become pregnant.
 Men with disabilities still get erections, produce sperm,
masturbate, and can impregnate a woman.
Michelle Uetz

12. Sex and Sexuality
 Completely Normal
 “Sexuality is an integral part of what it is to be a human being.”
(Chance, 2002).
 In the past when sexual behavior and interest came from people with
disabilities they were looked at negatively because of the social
difficulties and stereotypes related to these disabilities (Sullivan,
2008).
 Think about your own experiences?
 Were your actions, changes and feelings during puberty controllable,
or innate?
 Did they help shape you into who you are?
 Did gaining sexuality give you independence and control of yourself?
Michelle Uetz

13. Independence
 Sexuality is a part of our identity
 A large part of growing up is independence,
including what one does with their own body…adults
with disabilities are not exempt from this.
 Every person deserves as much independence as
possible.
 Can create conflict between parents and young adult,
caregivers and teachers.
Michelle Uetz

14. Parents
 Children learn by imitating what they see. This is often from
home.
 Parents want to protect their children and may not
understand the damage that it can do.
 Parents should be included in any issues that are occurring
regarding their child and his/her sexuality.
 Parents need support and education to deal with their
disabled child’s sexuality.
 Parents want their children to follow their morals and values.
 Whether teachers and caregivers agree or disagree they need to respect
this.
Michelle Uetz

15. Why Teach Sex Ed to Disabled People?
 With open discussion, comes understanding of values
and social aspects of sexuality.
 Helps people to deal with their feelings in a healthy and
responsible way.
 Talking about sex does not create sexual feelings, all
people have those feelings already. It provides
education.
 Disabled people have sexual feelings, but are less
equipped to handle them.
Michelle Uetz

16. Step 1: Teach and Use Correct Names
 Practice it yourself so that you can use proper names also.
 Penis
 Vulva
 Breasts
 Masturbate
 If there are problems or abuse, the person needs to be able to
accurately report the problem or abuse.
 Correct terminology is needed so that the Dr. understands
what is being reported.
 Nicknames can prolong reporting and help.
 It is important to know correct names for both genders.
Michelle Uetz

17. Step 2: Teach and Talk About Acceptable Social Behavior
 Learning about sexuality provides social skills.
 Communication
 Decision Making
 Assertiveness
 Peer Refusal skills
 Satisfying Relationships
 Learning about sexuality provides values.
 Increases self-esteem
 Provides understanding of family, religious, and social values
 Learning about sexuality provides responsibility.
 Abstinence
 Resisting exploitation
Michelle Uetz

18. Social Skills
 It is important to acknowledge sexual feelings and
development and then teach and reinforce important
decisions regarding sexual behavior:
 Appropriate public behavior
 Behavior to be practiced in private
 Consent
 Statutory rape
 Appropriate time and place
 Not in public, not constant, public displays of affection
Michelle Uetz

19. Step 3: Teach Sex Ed to People with Disabilities
 Even if good sex ed was taught at school, people with
disabilities need reminders and continual education
because they forget, or can’t transfer the information.
 Practice, Practice, Practice….the social skills. Role-play
is a good way to do this. Provide community experiences
for social skills whenever possible.
 Sex ed needs to include feelings, value, attitudes,
information, and communication skills (Social and
Sexual Issues During Transition, 2007).
Michelle Uetz

20. Step 4: Be Open and Honest
 You don’t need to share personal stories or experiences
 You do need to be open and honest about issues and
when answering questions
 Homosexuality
 Pregnancy
 Risks
 Appropriate age
 Responsibility
 Legal issues
 Susceptibility to abuse because of disability
Michelle Uetz

21. Special Considerations
 Autism
 Very black and white, need clear rules. Need a lot of social skill practice to have a
relationship.
 They do not have the socialization and understanding of social norms as a typical
peer would to be able to govern their sexual behaviors (Sullivan, 2008)
 Non-Verbal
 Many people that are non-verbal understand. Therefore, it is important to
develop signs with them to express themselves in regard to sexuality.
 Physical disabilities
 Is a pregnancy healthy for the woman?
 Cognitive Disability
 Is there enough cognitive function to raise a child?
Michelle Uetz

22. Questions & Concerns
 What questions do you have?
 What concerns do you have?
Michelle Uetz

23. References
 Don’t just believe me, I have some information to back
this stuff up.
 Chance, R. S. (2002). To Love an Be Loved: Sexuality and People
with Physical Disabilities. Journal of Psychology and Theology ,
30 (3), 195-208.
 Social and Sexual Issues During Transition. (2007). Retrieved 11
23, 2010, from National Association of Special Education
Teachers : http://www.naset.org/socsexualissues2.0.html#
 Sullivan, A. a. (2008). Addressing the Sexuality and Sex
Education of Individuals with Autism SPectrum Disorders.
Education and Treatment of Children , 31 (3), 381-394.
Michelle Uetz

24. More Resources
 Elman, R. A. (2005, 01). Confronting the Sexual
Abuse of Women with Disabilities. Retrieved 01 15,
2012, from ARC of Greater Twin Cities:
http://www.arcgreatertwincities.org/pdf/AbusePrev
ention/Elman_2005.pdf
Michelle Uetz