"Everybody's Got Their Stuff They Bring as a Sexual Partner, Mine is My Disability": Navigating the Intersections of Disability and Sexuality

Abstract

Although sexuality development is a universal process, sexual rights and relationships of individuals with disabilities have historically been denied and oppressed due to ableist policies, societal norms, and misrepresentation of what living with disabilities can mean. People with disabilities are just as likely to have positive and enjoyable intimate relationships as people without disabilities. Positive sexual relationships and experiences contribute to increased sexual well-being which increases quality of relationships and life. Using the Crip Theory of Sexuality and the Skill-based Model for Sexuality Development, this study investigated the ways that individuals with different disabilities experienced the intersections of disability and sexuality development and the supports and barriers to disability sexuality development and well-being. I used reflexive thematic analysis to analyze 18 semi-structured interviews with individuals with different disabilities (age range = 23 - 52; 44% non-binary, 39% women, 22% men; 72% White, 22% Jewish, 11% Mexican/Hispanic), and generated six themes: learning about the intersection of disability and sexuality through experience, diverse impacts of disabilities ranging from barrier to superpower, creating a "toolkit" of diagnoses and identities, power of the partner (dynamics), encroaching ableism and internalized ableism, and "it's a long, long process" – navigating time and context. Individuals with disabilities are navigating the ways their disabilities influence their sexualities through experiences and interactions with partners. As they navigate their sexuality across their lives, they are also experiencing supports and barriers that impact their sexuality development and sexual well-being. Identifying barriers and disrupting ableist influences are essential for healthy sexuality development for people with disabilities.