Effect of Difficulties Experienced by Parents of Autistic Children on Their Sexual Life: A Qualitative Study

The study was conducted to investigate the difficulties experienced by parents of children with autism on their sexual life.
The study used the method of focus group interviews and face-to-face in-depth interviews for qualitative studies. Interviews
were held with the parents of 12 autistic children registered at the Application and Research Center for child with disability
in Inonu University using a semi-structured questionnaire prepared by the investigators through screening. A voice recording
device was used during the interviews, but since the parents expressed their unwillingness for any voice recording during
the interviews about their sexual lives, face-to-face interviews were held with them in a suitable physical environment without
any voice recording. It was found at the end of this study that the parents of autistic children experienced difficulties
in their family relations, in social and economic spheres and in coping with the education and problematic behavior of their
children and their sexual lives were adversely affected by such difficulties. It was observed that a large part of the responsibility
for giving care to their children was assumed by women and their interaction and sexual relation with their husbands diminished
for this reason. In view of these findings, we suggest that the nurses working in this particular field should provide professional
social support to the parents and guide them into recognizing the difficulties they experience, the importance of their sexual
life and the places from where they can get service.