Funktionshindrad sexualitet? En kvalitativ studie om personer med fysisk funktionsnedsättning och sexualitetsfrågor i vardagen med personlig assistans

Abstract

Aim. The aim of this study is to analyze the living conditions of physically disabled people from the viewpoint of sexuality issues with regards to personal assistance services, identity and attitudes in society on disability and sexuality.

Background. Not much research is done on sexuality issues for physically disabled people. Even though we live in a society where sexuality takes up a lot of space in the media, the culture and is acknowledged to be of great importance for every person’s wellbeing, the sexuality of disabled people is often not recognized and discussed. We have little knowledge of how these attitudes influence professions working with disabled people, their identity and the opportunities for sexuality in different aspects.

Methods. Interviews were conducted with ten physically disabled people, a personal assistant and a physically disabled person working with a project on disability, sexuality and personal assistance issues in the Federation of Young Disabled. Internet observations have been conducted in the forum of www.funktionshinder.se (Swedish disability site). The data has been analyzed using grounded theory.

Findings. From a social constructionist approach, disability and sexuality is explained in terms of being socially constructed. Using the social model of disability and the theory of sexual scripting, shows that a disabled person’s sexuality is surrounded by barriers of societal and professional taboos and judgmental attitudes. This makes the experience of identity, personal assistance and sexuality ambivalent for the individual.

Conclusions. Forming a desired sexuality can be harder for physically disabled people and means fighting against judgmental attitudes about both disability, assistance and sexuality, when struggling for a sexuality which includes the desired components of assistance or otherwise.