“I want to do it right!” A pilot study of Swedish sex education and young people with intellectual disabilities

Résumé de l'auteur

[Authors' abstract]

In Sweden sex education has been compulsory since 1955. However, access to sex education seems to be insufficient in schools with special education programs. Concerns about unwanted pregnancies, sexual abuse and sexual risk situations make personnel insecure about how to best deal with the subject. A largely heteronormative perspective of sex education renders young gay people with ID an invisible group. Stereotyped gender norms where girls are supposed to be oriented towards love and relationships and boys towards sexuality make it more difficult for young people with ID to find a more subtle way to act. The aim of this study is to strengthen sexual health among young people with ID, and to develop a knowledge base culled from their own experiences that can help teachers in special schools to supply sufficient sex education. What are the experiences of sex education in young people with ID aged 16–21? In what way, and by whom, should sex education be supplied? What themes do the young people with ID consider important? Qualitative research interviews with 16 young females (9) and males (7) with ID aged 16–21 years have been conducted. Guiding the analyses is an interactionist perspective on sexuality. Results show that a restrictive script is geared toward informants with ID, focusing on sexual risks instead of challenging a discourse of pleasure, desire and intimacy. The study also shows that using critical pedagogy can help personnel develop a professional and adequate teaching model for sex education at schools for adolescents with ID.

Commentaire du Centre Ressources

The document is an article extracted from a Swedish research that aimed to measure the sexual health of young people having intellectual impairment, and to develop a sexuality education program that will be useful for trainers and professors in specialized schools. Non-directive interviews were conducted with sixteen teenagers and young adults (7 men and 9 women) having intellectual impairments. The research underlines the need to increase information concerning sexuality, gender sensitive information adapted to teenagers and young adults, to take into account the sexual orientation. The document could be useful to professionals, educators or members of associations in contact with people having intellectual impairment, and the relatives of these people. 

[Commentaire en français]

Le document est un article issu d’une recherche suédoise qui avait pour objectif de mesurer la santé sexuelle de jeunes personnes ayant une déficience intellectuelle, ainsi que de développer un programme d’éducation à la sexualité utile aux formateurs ou aux professeurs dans des écoles spécialisées.Des entretiens non-directifs furent menés avec des seize adolescents et jeunes adultes (7 hommes et 9 femmes) ayant une déficience intellectuelle. La recherche fait apparaître un besoin de davantage d’informations au sujet de la sexualité, d’informations adaptées au genre des adolescents ou jeunes adultes, de prise en compte de l’orientation sexuelle. Le document pourra être utile aux professionnels, éducateurs ou membres d’association au contact de personnes ayant une déficience intellectuelle, les proches de ces dernières.