Effects of a sexual education program for people with intellectual disability
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29352/mill0217.24242Keywords:
intellectual disability, sex education, health promotion, nursing careAbstract
Introduction: The person with intellectual disability is in a vulnerable situation, namely with regard to affections and sexuality. Generally, these people have precarious knowledge about sexuality, and their sexual education is insufficient or inadequate to their characteristics and needs, and it is essential for nurses to intervene in the field of sexual education with this population. The implementation of health literacy programmes aimed at people with intellectual disability, within the scope of sexuality, using inclusive strategies, can contribute to the development of healthy and safe relationships.
Objetive: To assess the effects of a sex education programme on a sample of people with intellectual disabilities.
Methods: Action-research developed in four cycles, between 2011 and 2015, in an institution to support people with intellectual disabilities.
Results: In the first cycle, sex education was identified as a priority, and in the last one a sex education programme was implemented and its effects evaluated with the SexKen-ID scale, with improvements in the participants' knowledge being noted.
Conclusion: The results of this study revealed the importance of sex education for people with intellectual disabilities and a better knowledge attainment over all the topics, when using homogeneous groups, adapted discourse and interactive strategies such as gamification. The promotion of a dynamic and reflective environment, promoted learning and experiences sharing.
Downloads
References
American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities [AAIDD]. (2010). Intellectual disability: definition, classification, and systems of supports. 11th Ed.. Washington: AAIDD.
Anazi, S., Maddirevula, S., Salpietro, V., Asi, Y. T., Alsahli, S., Alhashem, A., … Alkuraya, F. S. (2017). Expanding the genetic heterogeneity of intellectual disability. Human Genetics, 136(11–12), 1419–1429. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-017-1843-2
Associação Portuguesa de Deficientes (2011, March 26). Press release 26th March. Retrieved from: https://www.apd.org.pt/index.php/comunicacao-apd/comunicados-apd/2011/comunicado-marco2011
Bardin, L. (2013). Análise de conteúdo [Content analysis] (5th Ed.). Lisboa: Edições 70.
Frank, K., & Sandman, L. (2019). Supporting Parents as Sexuality Educators for Individuals with Intellectual Disability: The Development of the Home B.A.S.E Curriculum. Sexuality & Disability, 37(3), 329–337. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-019-09582-7
Gil-Llario, M. D., Morell-Mengual, V., Ballester-Arnal, R., & Díaz-Rodríguez, I. (2018). The experience of sexuality in adults with intellectual disability. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 62(1), 72–80. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12455
Grove, L., Morrison-Beedy, D., Kirby, R., & Hess, J. (2018). The Birds, Bees, and Special Needs: Making Evidence-Based Sex Education Accessible for Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities. Sexuality & Disability, 36(4), 313–329. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-018-9547-7
Kammes, R. R., Douglas, S. N., Maas, M. K., & Black, R. S. (2020). Parental Support for Sexuality Education and Expression Among Adults with an Intellectual Disability. Sexuality & Disability, 38(4), 669–686. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-020-09659-8
Kürtüncü, M., & Kurt, A. (2020). Sexual Education and Development in Children with Intellectual Disability: Mothers’ Opinions. Sexuality & Disability, 38(3), 455–468. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-020-09638-z
Löfgren-Mårtenson, C., & Ouis, P. (2019). We need “culture-bridges”: Professionals’ experiences of sex education for pupils with intellectual disabilities in a multicultural society. Sex Education, 19, 54–67. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2018.1478806
Novak, D., Tulu, B., & Brendryen, H. (2015). Handbook of Research on Holistic Perspetives in Gamification for Clinical Practice. United States of America: IGI Global.
Oakes, L. R., & Thorpe, S. (2019). The Sexual Health Needs and Perspectives of College Students with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities and Their Support Staff: A Brief Report. Sexuality & Disability, 37(4), 587–598. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-019-09602-6
Pinto, J., & Nobre, P. (2011). Escala de conhecimentos, experiências, sentimentos e necessidades sexuais para pessoas com deficiência intelectual. [Scale of knowledge, experiences, feelings and sexual needs for people with mental disabilities]. University of Aveiro.
Sala, G., Hooley, M., Attwood, T., Mesibov, G. B., & Stokes, M. A. (2019). Autism and Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Review of Sexuality and Relationship Education. Sexuality & Disability, 37(3), 353–382. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-019-09577-4
Saxe, A., & Flanagan, T. (2016). Unprepared: An appeal for sex education training for support workers of adults with developmental disabilities. Sexuality and Disability, 34(4), 443–454. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-016-9449-5
Schaafsma, D., Kok, G., Stoffelen, J. M. T., & Curfs, L. M. G. (2017). People with intellectual disabilities talk about sexuality: Implications for the development of sex education. Sexuality and Disability, 35(1), 21–38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-016-9466-4
Schmidt, E. K., Brown, C., & Darragh, A. (2020). Scoping Review of Sexual Health Education Interventions for Adolescents and Young Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities. Sexuality & Disability, 38(3), 439–453. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-019-09593-4
Schmidt, E. K., Hand, B. N., Havercamp, S., Sommerich, C., Weaver, L., & Darragh, A. (2021). Sex Education Practices for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: A Qualitative Study. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 75(3), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.044859
Schmidt, E., Robek, N., Dougherty, M., Horstman, A., & Darragh, A. (2020). “I Have a Disability, [and]... I Want to Make Love and Be Loved”: Gaps, Barriers, and Recommendations for Sex Ed for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD)...2020 AOTA Annual Conference & Expo. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Sup1), 1. https://doi.org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S1-PO1206
SICAD (2016). Programa “Eu e os Outros” [Program “Me and the Others”]. Retrieved from: http://www.sicad.pt/PT/Intervencao/Programas/Prevencao/Paginas/detalhe.aspx?itemId=15&lista=prevencao&bkUrl=/BK/Intervencao/Programas/Prevencao
Stoffelen, J. M. T., Herps, M. A., Buntinx, W. H. E., Schaafsma, D., Kok, G., & Curfs, L. M. G. (2017). Sexuality and individual support plans for people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 61(12), 1117–1129. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12428
Susman, G. I., & Evered, R. D. (1978). An assessment of the scientific merits of action research. Administrative Science Quarterly, 23(4), 582–603. https://doi.org/10.2307/2392581
Wilson, N. J., & Frawley, P. (2016). Transition staff discuss sex education and support for young men and women with intellectual and developmental disability. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 41(3), 209–221. https://doi.org/10.3109/13668250.2016.1162771
World Health Organization (2018). Disability and health. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health
Yıldız, G., & Cavkaytar, A. (2017). Effectiveness of a sexual education program for mothers of young adults with intellectual disabilities on mothers’ attitudes toward sexual education and the perception of social support. Sexuality and Disability, 35(1), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11195-016-9465-5
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who submit proposals for this journal agree to the following terms:
a) Articles are published under the Licença Creative Commons (CC BY 4.0), in full open-access, without any cost or fees of any kind to the author or the reader;
b) The authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication, allowing the free sharing of work, provided it is correctly attributed the authorship and initial publication in this journal;
c) The authors are permitted to take on additional contracts separately for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in this journal (eg, post it to an institutional repository or as a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal;
d) Authors are permitted and encouraged to publish and distribute their work online (eg, in institutional repositories or on their website) as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as increase the impact and citation of published work
Documents required for submission
Article template (Editable format)
