Abstract
The attitudes towards sexual relationships among persons with learning disabilities (PLD) of parents of children without disabilities
were compared with the attitudes of family caregivers (parents of PLD) and with the attitude of professional caregivers. The
importance of different situational factors that may alter acceptability judgments (i.e., gender, etiology of the disability,
person’s present level of autonomy, use of contraceptive devices, and partner’s age and possible handicap) with regards to
the sexuality of PLD was examined through the use of concrete cases. All the participants lived in Mexico. The only notable
difference in attitude that was observed was between parents of PLD suffering from trisomia 21 and parents of PLD suffering
from a neuromotor disorder. As a result, it may be erroneous to consider parents of PLD as a homogeneous group regarding attitudes
to sexuality. Three different basic philosophies regarding the expression of sexuality among PLD were observed. They were
called Mainly Unacceptable (37% of the sample), Mainly Acceptable (36%), and Depending on Circumstances (27%). In this later
philosophy, contraception was by far the major determinant of acceptability.
were compared with the attitudes of family caregivers (parents of PLD) and with the attitude of professional caregivers. The
importance of different situational factors that may alter acceptability judgments (i.e., gender, etiology of the disability,
person’s present level of autonomy, use of contraceptive devices, and partner’s age and possible handicap) with regards to
the sexuality of PLD was examined through the use of concrete cases. All the participants lived in Mexico. The only notable
difference in attitude that was observed was between parents of PLD suffering from trisomia 21 and parents of PLD suffering
from a neuromotor disorder. As a result, it may be erroneous to consider parents of PLD as a homogeneous group regarding attitudes
to sexuality. Three different basic philosophies regarding the expression of sexuality among PLD were observed. They were
called Mainly Unacceptable (37% of the sample), Mainly Acceptable (36%), and Depending on Circumstances (27%). In this later
philosophy, contraception was by far the major determinant of acceptability.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-10
- DOI 10.1007/s11195-011-9201-0
- Authors
- Guadalupe Elizabeth Morales, Facultad de Psicología, Centro de Investigaciones Psicologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Cubiculo 7, Mutualismo 110 Col. Mitras Centro, 64460 Monterrey, México
- Ernesto Octavio Lopez, Facultad de Psicología, Centro de Investigaciones Psicologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Cubiculo 7, Mutualismo 110 Col. Mitras Centro, 64460 Monterrey, México
- Etienne Mullet, Institute of Advanced Studies, Paris, France
- Journal Sexuality and Disability
- Online ISSN 1573-6717
- Print ISSN 0146-1044