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Sexual Knowledge, Experience and Feelings Among People with Disability

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Abstract

The current study was designed to evaluate the sexual knowledge, experience, feelings and needs of people with intellectual disability or physical disability, and compare them to people from the general population. Sixty people with mild intellectual disability (28 males, 32 females, mean age=27.62 years), 60 people with physical disability (33 males, 27 females, mean age=28.65 years) and 100 people from the general population (40 males, 60 females, mean age=30.10 years) participated in the study. Each respondent completed the Sexual Knowledge, Experience and Needs Scale (SexKen). This scale assesses levels of knowledge, experience, feelings and needs in 12 different areas of sexuality. The results demonstrated that people with intellectual disability experienced lower levels of sexual knowledge and experience, more negative attitudes to sex and stronger sexual needs than people with physical disability, in all areas of sexuality. People with physical disability demonstrated these same trends when they were compared to people from the general population. An interpretation of these results as they relate to the sexuality of people with intellectual or physical disability is provided.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia

    Marita P. McCabe (Ph.D.)

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  1. Marita P. McCabe
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Correspondence to Marita P. McCabe.

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McCabe, M.P. Sexual Knowledge, Experience and Feelings Among People with Disability. Sexuality and Disability 17, 157–170 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021476418440

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