Sexual Knowledge, Desires, and Experience of Adolescents and Young Adults With an Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploratory Study.

Christian C Joyal,Claude L Normand,Suzie Mckinnon,Marie-Hélène Poulin,Julie Carpentier

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.685256

Abstract

Although most persons with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) wish to have romantic and/or sexual relationships, little is known about self-report sexuality of adolescents/young adults with ASD. In this exploratory study, 172 male and female adolescents/young adults (68 with ASD and 104 without ASD) completed an online version of the Sexual Behavior Scale-Third edition. Although many more similarities than differences were observed between the groups for views and desires about romantic relationships (e.g., wishing to have a girlfriend/boyfriend), fewer participants with ASD (mostly boys) had experience with a variety of sexual/dyadic behaviors, and approximately half of girls with ASD reported negative sexual experiences. Significantly higher rates of participants with ASD felt their knowledge about sexuality was limited and found it difficult to understand sexual education compared with typically developing (TD) participants. Significantly lower rates of participants with ASD reported that they identify to their assigned gender compared with TD participants. Multiple regressions revealed that being older at first diagnosis and possessing better knowledge about sexuality were significant predictors of both positive and negative sexual experience. This study explores strengths and challenges related with the sexual health of adolescents/young adults with ASD and implications for clinical and educational practice are discussed.

Highlights

Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have particular challenges to face in their attempts to be involved in romantic/sexual relationships and they engage, on average, in fewer socio-sexual behaviors than typically developing (TD) individuals [1,2,3]
Much more similarities than differences were observed between the groups (ASD vs. TD) concerning their views about romantic relationships (Table 1)
The notable exception was the significantly greater importance given by participants with ASD to have exactly the same interests with the other person to make up a good romantic relationship compared with their TD peers (64.7 vs. 37.5%, respectively, Table 1)

Summary

Introduction

Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have particular challenges to face in their attempts to be involved in romantic/sexual relationships and they engage, on average, in fewer socio-sexual behaviors than typically developing (TD) individuals [1,2,3]. Personal (e.g., difficulties in social cognition), institutional (e.g., insufficient sexual education), and societal (e.g., ableism, Sexuality of Young Adults With Autism assumptions, stigmatization, and exclusion) barriers contribute to limit the sexual knowledge of people with ASD (especially adolescents) and lower their chances to have romantic/sexual relationships [2]. This type of data is of utmost importance as it helps developing education or training plans based on specific needs of persons with ASD to initiate and maintain romantic/sexual relationships. Transition into adulthood in general and sexuality in particular are challenging for most adolescents, it might be even more so for those with ASD [7]

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Conclusion