People with intellectual disabilities, relationship and sex education programmes: A systematic review

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this systematic review was to examine the research evidence concerning the views and experiences of people with intellectual disabilities regarding their participation in and the effectiveness of relationship and sex education programmes. Methods: A systematic search of relevant electronic databases was conducted using defined inclusion criteria. All papers reviewed were from October 1998 to October 2018. PRISMA guidelines were followed in the design and reporting of the systematic review. Results: A total of eight studies published in English were included in the review. Data were analysed and the key themes identified were (1) designing and developing relationship and sex education programmes, (2) participating in relationship and sex education programmes and (3) perceived benefits of relationship and sex education programme participation. Conclusion: This review identified that people with intellectual disabilities are accessing relationship and sex education programmes and appear to find them helpful. Further research is required to investigate the extent to which programmes impact on long-term behaviours that enable the development of sustainable relationships and reduce the unintended consequences of sexual activities. Implications for policy, practice and future research developments are discussed.

Barriers to sexuality education for children and young people with disabilities in the WHO European region: a scoping review

“…Beyond this, children and young people with disabilities have similar needs concerning sexuality to their peers without disabilities, and research has shown that they find sexuality education helpful in responding to these needs (McCann, Marsh, and Brown 2019;Verhoef et al 2005;Borawska-Charko, Rohleder, and Finlay 2017). Importantly, their needs may exceed those of their peers without disabilities due to disability-specific issues, such as learning how to deal with reduced privacy (Holland-Hall and Quint 2017).…”

“…As Campbell, Löfgren-Mårtenson, and Martino (2020) suggest, 'Sex education is imperative to not only increasing the likelihood for people with disabilities to enjoy fulfiling romantic and sexual lives, but also to engage in safe and satisfying sexual exploration'. Several publications have shed light on the possible barriers to sexuality education, although many have focused on other populations and other topics, for example, the barriers experienced by adults (Caspar and Glidden 2001;Brown and McCann 2018;Sinclair et al 2015;McCann, Marsh, and Brown 2019) or those encountered in other parts of the world, such as the USA (Treacy, Taylor, and Abernathy 2018). However, the additional stigma related to sexuality among children and young people as compared to adults and the specific context of the European region with its longer tradition of sexuality education -particularly in northern and western Europe -warrants an examination of the barriers to sexuality education for children and young people with disabilities within this context.…”

The Design, Content and Delivery of Relationship and Sexuality Education Programmes for People with Intellectual Disabilities: A Systematic Review of the International Evidence

“…It is important that teachers receive the appropriate training to be able to address issues related to culture and different religious beliefs [ 54 ]. This is necessary to support the adaptation of the content of RSE programme learning resources and materials to enable meaningful engagement and participation [ 20 ].…”

“…To this end, RSE programmes enable people to make informed decisions about their future relationships, develop resilience and know where to access help and support when necessary [ 17 ]. To achieve this objective, many countries have established structured RSE programmes that are embedded within the school curriculum that is intended to be inclusive of all young people [ 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”

“…RSE programmes have been developed to address the distinct needs of people with ID. From the available evidence, these programmes appear to include issues such as capacity and consent, anatomy and biology, contraception and sexual behaviours [ 20 ]. It is unclear if such RSE programmes have been developed around theoretical behaviour change models with explicit intended outcomes.…”