Predictors of negative beliefs toward the sexual rights and perceived sexual healthcare needs of people with physical disabilities in South Africa

Abstract

Background: Although sexuality is a ubiquitous human need, recent empirical research has shown that people without disabilities attribute fewer sexual rights and perceive sexual healthcare to benefit fewer people with disabilities, compared to non-disabled people. Within a global context, such misperceptions have tangible, deleterious consequences for people with disabilities (e.g., exclusion from sexual healthcare), creating an urgent need for effective strategies to change misperceptions. Methods: To lay the groundwork for developing such strategies, we examined predictors of the recognition of sexual rights of people with physical disabilities within the South African context, derived from three key social psychological literatures (prejudice, social dominance orientation & intergroup contact), as well as the relationship between sexual rights and beliefs about sexual healthcare. Data were obtained through a cross-sectional survey, given to nondisabled South Africans (N = 1989). Results: Findings indicated that lack of recognition of the sexual rights for physically disabled people predicted less positive beliefs about the benefits of sexual healthcare. In turn, high levels of prejudice (both cognitive & affective) toward disabled sexuality predicted less recognition of their sexual rights, while prejudice (both forms) was predicted by prior contact with disabled people and possessing a social dominance orientation (cognitive prejudice only). Evidence was also obtained for an indirect relationship of contact and social dominance orientation on sexual healthcare beliefs through prejudice, although these effects were extremely small. Conclusion: Results are discussed in terms of their implications for rehabilitation, as well as national-level strategies to tackle negative perceptions of disabled sexuality, particularly in contexts affected by HIV.

Sexuality in People with Motor Disability; Taboo, or Right?

“…As for women, a more global conception prevailed that allows them greater well-being and satisfaction. These results coincide with what has been reported by other authors regarding the predominant habitual sexual behavior, which reduces sexual encounters to genitality and to a lesser extent behaviors that consider love affairs as art that each couple creates with their own rules of the game, including all possible forms that are satisfactory to them (37), for every human being is prepared to experience pleasure, which transcends the limitations associated with disability (27,(38)(39)(40)(41)(42). Although masturbation is part of the exercise of their sexuality and a practice that promotes sexual autonomy and self-knowledge (33,41), in this study two currents were identi ed; while some said to practice it naturally, others considered it harmful and sinful.…”

Physical Disability and Sexuality, Some History and Some Findings

“…Evidence from our survey suggests that simply having the opportunity to interact with people who have physical disabilities is likely to combat negative attitudes towards them (Carew et al, 2019), including if this contact is virtual in nature (e.g. watching people with disabilities through media like the Paralympics; Carew et al, 2019).…”

The Sexual and Parenting Rights of People with Physical and Psychical Disabilities: Attitudes of Italians and Socio-Demographic Factors Involved in Recognition and Denial

“…Attitudes towards sexuality in PwDs may also vary due to beliefs associated with the cultural origin [ 3 , 27 , 28 ] and religion with more religious people tending to hold more conservative opinions [ 25 ]. However, most research on attitudes towards the SPRs of PwDs has engaged primarily their family members, supporting staff, or university students, while a few updated studies enrolled samples from the general population [ 3 , 27 , 29 ].…”