Coping with the sexuality of the disabled: a comparison of the physically disabled and the mentally retarded.

Taking as a starting point, papers on sexuality of disabled people and papers on attitudes and representations toward their sexuality, we have demonstrated that the coping of those people is directed by an ideology of rationalisation of sexuality. This ideology is expressed in different ways, with physically disabled and mentally retarded people. This fact makes clear the importance of the handicapped referent over the coping. Procreation is strongly supported for the physically disabled people (paraplegics). Mentally retarded people are strictly forbidden to procreate: this appears especially with the sterilisation of mentally retarded women.