Disability, sexuality and sociosexual relationships in women's everyday life

Gisela Helmius

doi:10.1080/15017419909510737

Abstract

<span>This article draws on a qualitative study in Sweden in which 21 women from three generations, with congenital physical disabilities, were interviewed about their daily life. Using a social constructionist perspective on both disability and sexuality, this paper focuses on sexuality and sociosexual relationships as part of these women's everyday life. Data indicate that disabled women in younger generations might accumulate experiences of sexuality differently from women in older generations. But regardless of generation, the most common pattern is that these women recount their teenage years as an unhappy period in terms of exclusion from sociosexual relationships. One conclusion drawn is that issues of autonomy, independence and personal assistants in these women's everyday life are brought to a head when they are related to private sexual life. Also, there is still a way to go as regards integration and enabling interventions in the field of women, disability and sexuality.</span>

Highlights

This paper draws on data from a qualitative study of the everyday life of disabled women from three generations, and highlights sexuality and sociosexual relationships
This study supports the idea that issues of autonomy and independence in the field of women and disability are brought to a head when they are related to sexuality and individual private sexual life
This article has aimed at shedding light on sexuality and sociosexual relationships as part of disabled women's everyday life

Summary

Introduction

This paper draws on data from a qualitative study of the everyday life of disabled women from three generations, and highlights sexuality and sociosexual relationships. Data utilized consist of transcribed interviews with 21 women on their collected life experience In this perspective the interviews do not project a "real reality". Job-market and education are important areas of interest in literature and research on women and disabilities, another area of interest can be labelled sexuality in its broadest sense (Helmius, 1993) This includes sexuality's culturally-based aspects, such as how, when, where, why, and with whom. Based on her own experience and research, Susan Wendell (1996) maintains that a woman who acquires a disability as an adult is placed in a situation in which she must redefine her whole life and reorganize her entire existence in relation to having a different physical condition. She is primarily socialized as a disabled child rather than as a girl with an impairment (Lewin, 1987)

The generation model in the Swedish context

Womanhood and sociosexual relationships

Conclusion