To Love and be Loved: Sexuality and People with Physical Disabilities

People with physical disabilities are stereotyped as asexual, as lacking the same sexual and relationship needs and desires as nondisabled people. Yet people with disabilities are human beings, created in the image of God, and thus are sexual beings with the same capacity to love and be loved as any...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Chance, Randi S. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Sage Publishing 2002
In: Journal of psychology and theology
Year: 2002, Volume: 30, Issue: 3, Pages: 195-208
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Parallel Edition:Non-electronic
Description
Summary:People with physical disabilities are stereotyped as asexual, as lacking the same sexual and relationship needs and desires as nondisabled people. Yet people with disabilities are human beings, created in the image of God, and thus are sexual beings with the same capacity to love and be loved as any other human. In this article, the author discusses the sexuality and heterosexual experiences of adults with various physical disabilities. She explores possible effects of disabilities on sexual self-concept, romantic relationships, and sexual activities as well as describes some practical steps that can be taken to remedy specific difficulties. The author also briefly relates some personal experiences as a woman with chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia who is married to a man with cerebral palsy. Implications for clinical practice are discussed. The author encourages psychotherapists to prepare themselves to respond intelligently and comfortably to the sexual questions and issues raised by their physically disabled clients, regardless of the presenting problem.
ISSN:2328-1162
Contains:Enthalten in: Journal of psychology and theology
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/009164710203000303