Sexual Health Education for Adolescents with Intellectual Disabilities
Report, 2015
Adolescents with intellectual disabilities, like all individuals, deserve the opportunity to enjoy personal sexual fulfillment in a healthy, empowering way. Research has shown that individuals with intellectual disabilities have the right to and a need for sexual health education. Sexual health education can help to empower individuals with intellectual disabilities to explore their sexuality in positive ways, learn how to have healthy relationships, learn how to make their own decisions related to their sexual health, and reduce their vulnerability to sexual abuse. Education can also help to reduce inappropriate sexual expression.
This literature review highlights the need for sexual health education for individuals living with intellectual disabilities. It also describes the limited available evidence for what works for teaching sexual health education to this population and provides recommendations for further areas of educational development.
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