Abstract
Individuals with disabilities face many misconceptions regarding their sexuality, the most common of which are that they are either asexual or unable to control themselves sexually. These misconceptions are present in members of the general public, parents of individuals with disabilities, and professionals who work with individuals with disabilities. This systematic literature review explores the extant literature on attitudes of the general public towards the sexuality of individuals with disabilities. Thirty-four articles were included in this systematic review, representing attitudes towards individuals with physical disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and psychiatric disabilities. Results were coded into three main themes: People with Disabilities as Sexual Beings, Factors Influencing Societal Attitudes, and Factors Related to the Sexuality of People with Disabilities. Topics such as sexual rights, sexual behavior, relationships, partner factors, sexual orientation, sexual and reproductive health, parenting, and stigma are addressed. Also addressed are the nine measures of attitudes towards sexuality and disability utilized studies included in the systematic review.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Tepper, M.S.: Sexuality and disability: the missing discourse of pleasure. Sex. Disabil. 18(4), 283–290 (2000)
Neufeld, J.A., et al.: Adolescent sexuality and disability. Phys. Med. Rehabil. Clin. N. Am. 13(4), 857–873 (2002)
Mayers, K.S., Heller, D.K., Heller, J.A.: Damaged sexual self-esteem: a kind of disability. Sex. Disabil. 21(4), 13 (2003)
Milligan, M.S., Neufeldt, A.H.: The myth of asexuality: a survey of social and empirical evidence. Sex. Disabil. 19(2), 91–109 (2001)
Chan, F., et al.: Unifying and elevating rehabilitation counseling through model-driven, diversity-sensitive evidence-based practice. Rehabil. Counseling Bull. 52(2), 114–119 (2009)
Esmail, S., et al.: Attitudes and perceptions towards disability and sexuality. Disabil. Rehabil. 32(14), 1148–1155 (2010)
Livneh, H., A dimensional perspective on the origin of negative attitudes toward persons with disabilities. 1988.
Cuskelly, M., Bryde, R.: Attitudes towards the sexuality of adults with an intellectual disability: parents, support staff, and a community sample. J. Intellect. Dev. Disabil. 29(3), 255–264 (2004)
Pebdani, R.N.: Attitudes of group home employees towards the sexuality of individuals with intellectual disabilities. Sex. Disabil. 34(3), 329–339 (2016)
Meaney-Tavares, R., Gavidia-Payne, S.: Staff characteristics and attitudes towards the sexuality of people with intellectual disability. J. Intellect. Dev. Disabil. 37(3), 269–273 (2012)
Livneh, H., On the origins of negative attitudes towards people with disabilities. Rehabilitation literature, 1982.
Katz, S., Shemesh, T., Bizman, A.: Attitudes of university students toward the sexuality of persons with mental retardation and persons with paraplegia. Br. J. Dev. Disabil. 46(2), 109–117 (2000)
Hasson-Ohayon, I., et al.: Attitudes towards motherhood of women with physical versus psychiatric disabilities. Disabil. Health J. 11(4), 612–617 (2018)
Hasson-Ohayon, I., et al.: Attitudes toward the sexuality of persons with physical versus psychiatric disabilities. Rehabil. Psychol. 59(2), 236–241 (2014)
Di Giulio, G.: Sexuality and people living with physical or developmental disabilities: a review of key issues. Can. J Human Sex. 12(1), 53–68 (2003)
Parchomiuk, M.: Model of intellectual disability and the relationship of attitudes towards the sexuality of persons with an intellectual disability. Sex. Disabil. 31(2), 125–139 (2013)
Tepper, M.S.: Letting go of restrictive notions of manhood: male sexuality, disability and chronic illness. Sex. Disabil. 17(1), 37–52 (1999)
McConkey, R., Leavey, G.: Irish attitudes to sexual relationships and people with intellectual disability. Br. J. Learn. Disabil. 41(3), 181–188 (2013)
Moher, D., et al.: Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA statement. PLoS med 6(7), e1000097 (2009)
Haring, M., Meyerson, L.: Attitudes of college students toward sexual behavior of disabled persons. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 60(6), 257–260 (1979)
Chandani, A., McKenna, K., Maas, F.: Attitudes of university students towards the sexuality of physically disabled people. Br. J. Occup. Ther. 52(6), 233–236 (1989)
Devkota, H.R., M. Kett, and N. Groce, Societal attitude and behaviours towards women with disabilities in rural Nepal: Pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 2019. 19(1).
Saxe, A., Flanagan, T.: Factors that impact support workers’ perceptions of the sexuality of adults with developmental disabilities: a quantitative analysis. Sex. Disabil. 32(1), 45–63 (2014)
Robillard, K., Fichten, C.S.: Attributions about sexuality and romantic involvement of physically disabled college students: an empirical study. Sex. Disabil. 6(3–4), 197–212 (1983)
Marini, I., et al.: Ethnic, gender, and contact differences in intimacy attitudes toward wheelchair users. Rehabil. Counseling Bull. 56(3), 135–145 (2013)
Florian, V., Shurka, E.: Non-disabled opinions on sexual activities and family roles for disabled persons, and disabled persons’ views of these opinions. Disabil. Rehabil. 5(1), 17–20 (1983)
Parsons, A.L., Reichl, A.J., Pedersen, C.L.: Gendered ableism: media representations and gender role beliefs’ effect on perceptions of disability and sexuality. Sex. Disabil. 35(2), 207–225 (2017)
Tamas, D., et al.: Professionals, parents and the general public: attitudes towards the sexuality of persons with intellectual disability. Sex. Disabil. 37(2), 245–258 (2019)
Cuskelly, M., Gilmore, L.: Attitudes to sexuality questionnaire (individuals with an intellectual disability): scale development and community norms. J. Intellect. Dev. Disabil. 32(3), 214–221 (2007)
Ditchman, N., et al.: The impact of culture on attitudes toward the sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities. Sex. Disabil. 35(2), 245–260 (2017)
Di Marco, G., et al., Attitudes towards the sexuality of men with intellectual disability: the effect of social dominance orientation, in 3rd World Conference on Psychology, Counseling and Guidance, Wcpcg-2012, H. Uzunboylu and M. Demirok, Editors. 2013. p. 1194–1198.
Feldman, D., et al.: The effects of people-first language and demographic variables on beliefs, attitudes and behavioral intentions toward people with disabilities. J. Appl. Rehabil. Couns. 33(3), 18–25 (2002)
Jones, L.K., et al.: Sexuality, pregnancy and midwifery care for women with intellectual disabilities: a pilot study on attitudes of university students. Contemp. Nurse 35(1), 47–57 (2010)
Chou, Y.C., Lu, Z.Y.J., Lin, C.J.: Comparison of attitudes to the sexual health of men and women with intellectual disability among parents, professionals, and university students. J. Intellect. Dev. Disabil. 43(2), 164–173 (2018)
Esterle, M., M.T. Muñoz Sastre, and E. Mullet, Judging the acceptability of sexual intercourse among people with learning disabilities: French laypeople's viewpoint. Sexuality and Disability, 2008. 26(4): p. 219–227.
Oliver, M.N., et al.: Attitudes toward acceptable socio-sexual behaviors for persons with mental retardation: implications for normalization and community integration. Educ. Train. Ment. Retard. Dev. Disabil. 37(2), 193–201 (2002)
Karellou, J.: Laypeople’s attitudes towards the sexuality of people with learning disabilities in Greece. Sex. Disabil. 21(1), 65–84 (2003)
Morales, G.E.M., et al.: Judging the acceptability of sexual intercourse among people with learning DISABILities: a Mexico-france comparison. Sex. Disabil. 28(2), 81–91 (2010)
Areskoug-Josefsson, K., Fristedt, S.: Occupational therapy students’ views on addressing sexual health. Scandinavian Journal of Occupational Therapy 26(4), 306–314 (2019)
Girard, M., M.T. Muñoz Sastre, and E. Mullet, Mapping French People’s Views Regarding Sexual Assistance to People with Physical Disabilities. Sexuality and Disability, 2019. 37(1): p. 109–121.
Scotti, J.R., et al.: College student attitudes concerning the sexuality of persons with mental retardation: development of the perceptions of sexuality scale. Sex. Disabil. 14(4), 249–263 (1996)
Franco, D.G., Cardoso, J., Neto, I.: Attitudes towards affectivity and sexuality of people with intellectual disability. Sex. Disabil. 30(3), 261–287 (2012)
Valvano, A.K., et al.: Health professions students’ perceptions of sexuality in patients with physical disability. Sex. Disabil. 32(3), 413–427 (2014)
Pebdani, R.N., Rehabilitation Counselor Knowledge, Comfort, Approach, and Attitude Toward Sex and Disability. Rehabilitation Research, Policy & Education, 2013. 27(1).
Chubon, R.A.: Development and evaluation of a sexuality and disability course for the helping professions. Sex. Disabil. 4(1), 3–14 (1981)
Jones, L.K., et al.: Sexuality, pregnancy and midwifery care for women with intellectual disabilities: a pilot study on attitudes of university students. Contemp. Nurse 35(1), 047–057 (2010)
Florian, V.: Sex counseling: comparison of attitudes of disabled and nondisabled subjects. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehabil. 64(2), 81–84 (1983)
Sankhla, D., Theodore, K.: British attitudes towards sexuality in men and women with intellectual disabilities: a comparison between white westerners and South Asians. Sex. Disabil. 33(4), 429–445 (2015)
Karellou, J.: Development of the greek sexuality attitudes questionnaire-learning disabilities (GSAQ-LD). Sex. Disabil. 21(2), 113–135 (2003)
Katz, G., Lazcano-Ponce, E.: Sexuality in subjects with intellectual disability: an educational intervention proposal for parents and counselors in developing countries. Salud pública de México 50(Suppl 2), s239-254 (2008)
Easton, A.B., DenBoer, J.W.: Sexuality and relationships in the lives of people with intellectual disabilities: standing in my shoes. Sex. Disabil. 33(4), 549–552 (2015)
Pebdani, R.N., Johnson, K.L.: Rehabilitation counseling students report on training and sexuality. Rehabilitation Counseling Bulletin 58(3), 173–175 (2015)
Corrigan, P.W., Wassel, A.: Understanding and influencing the stigma of mental illness. J. Psychosoc. Nurs. Ment. Health Serv. 46(1), 42–48 (2008)
Corrigan, P.W., Druss, B.G., Perlick, D.A.: The impact of mental illness stigma on seeking and participating in mental health care. Psycholo. Sci. Pub. Interest 15(2), 37–70 (2014)
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the important contributions of University of Sydney librarians Elaine Tam and Lajos Bordas for their assistance in developing the keywords for this systematic review.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Pebdani, R.N., Tashjian, A. An Analysis of the Attitudes of the General Public Towards the Sexuality of Individuals with Disabilities Through a Systematic Literature Review. Sex Disabil 40, 21–55 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-021-09700-4
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-021-09700-4