Abstract
BackgroundStudies indicate that women with intellectual disabilities (ID) face various personal and socio-environmental barriers in their sexual lives. This study aimed to identify the concerns and sexual health needs experienced by women with ID.MethodA systematic review of relevant qualitative articles was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science Scopus and PsycINFO databases from June 2018 to August 2018. We designed our search strategy according to two main foci: (1) sexuality; and (2) women with ID. In the study, searches were limited to articles published from January 2000 to December 2017. In this review, studies on women ages 16 and over were included.ResultsWithin the four databases, the search found 274 unique articles. After three steps of screening (title, abstract and full text), 22 studies were included in the final review. The articles mentioned difficulties with lack of sexual experience, negative experiences with sexuality, negative attitudes towards sexuality by nondisabled individuals, limited cognitive capacities to understand sexual identity, difficulty with finding the right partner, lack of access to sexual health information, lack of school-based sexuality education, violence and sexual abuse, lack of support from families and caregivers about sexuality, fear of sexual acts and unwanted pregnancy, shyness in expressing sexual desires, and limited knowledge of sexual behaviors.ConclusionOur findings indicate that women with ID need to be provided with school-based sexuality education tailored to the level of understanding needed to attain the requisite knowledge to form relationships, understand sexual and romantic relationships, and practice safe sex when they choose this option. Families along with education and healthcare systems should provide opportunities for women with ID to talk about their sexual needs and make their own choices.
Highlights
Studies indicate that women with intellectual disabilities (ID) face various personal and socioenvironmental barriers in their sexual lives
Our findings indicate that women with ID need to be provided with school-based sexuality education tailored to the level of understanding needed to attain the requisite knowledge to form relationships, understand sexual and romantic relationships, and practice safe sex when they choose this option
Families along with education and healthcare systems should provide opportunities for women with ID to talk about their sexual needs and make their own choices
Summary
Studies indicate that women with intellectual disabilities (ID) face various personal and socioenvironmental barriers in their sexual lives. This study aimed to identify the concerns and sexual health needs experienced by women with ID. One group impacted by lack of access to sexual health resources is women with intellectual disabilities (ID). Studies indicate that people with ID face various personal and socioenvironmental barriers in their sexual lives. Some of these barriers include limited sexual knowledge, poor education, negative attitudes, lack of access to healthcare, lack of sexual experiences, and social isolation which can lead to increased sexual violence and abuse of women with ID [4,5,6]. Lack of sexual health education contributes to increased prevalence of sexually transmitted infections among people with ID including an increased risk of HIV infection [11, 12]
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