‘A lot of social workers don’t seem to understand or realize the harm that they cause’: Disabled young people’s experiences with sexual well-being in social work practice

Abstract

Abstract Young disabled people are disproportionately excluded from equal control, access, and choices concerning their sexual and reproductive rights. While sexual citizenship is founded on a rights-based approach and is closely connected with social work values such as empowerment and entitlement to full participation, many social workers do not include dimensions of sexual well-being in their scope of practice. This phenomenological study explores how social workers address the intersection of sexual well-being and disability from the perspectives of young disabled people. A total of twenty-four semi-structured interviews were carried out with individuals between the ages of 17 and 24 in Ontario, Canada, who identify themselves as disabled and have had prior interactions with a social worker. Social workers adopting risk-averse approaches negatively impacted the trust between young people and their social workers. Young people expressed their discontent with sexual well-being being deprioritized in practice, as participants considered dimensions of sexual well-being to be closely related to their physical, mental, and emotional health. Participants overwhelmingly reported that social workers should discuss sexual well-being with service users using sex-positive perspectives. The findings highlight the importance of holistic and comprehensive social work practices, including sexual well-being and sex-positive perspectives.