Lam Angus Y K, Yau Matthew K S, Franklin Richard C, Leggat Peter A
School of Health Sciences, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, Australia.
J Appl Res Intellect Disabil. 2025 Jan;38(1):e70008. doi: 10.1111/jar.70008.
Sexual well-being significantly impacts the overall quality of life for individuals with and without intellectual disabilities. Notably, parents play a pivotal role in influencing their children's sexual development, and their attitudes towards this topic are shaped by Chinese sociocultural values.
This study employed Interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore the experiences and attitudes of five individuals with intellectual disabilities and seven parents/caregivers regarding the sexual needs of their adult offspring with intellectual disabilities.
The findings revealed participants' experiences and concerns, often navigating the challenges posed by traditional Chinese cultural restrictions through responses characterised as 'Silent' (avoidance of discussion) and 'Weep' (deep-seated psycho-emotional burden).
This research emphasises the importance of a pluralistic society and advocates for promoting sexual autonomy among individuals with intellectual disabilities. The findings have implications for future practises and highlight the need for a more inclusive and compassionate approach to their sexual well-being.
性福祉对有和没有智力残疾的个体的整体生活质量都有显著影响。值得注意的是，父母在影响孩子的性发育方面起着关键作用，他们对这个话题的态度受到中国社会文化价值观的塑造。
本研究采用解释现象学分析方法，探讨五名智力残疾个体以及七名父母/照顾者对其成年智力残疾子女的性需求的经历和态度。
研究结果揭示了参与者的经历和担忧，他们常常通过被描述为“沉默”（避免讨论）和“哭泣”（深层次的心理情感负担）的反应来应对中国传统文化限制带来的挑战。
本研究强调多元社会的重要性，并倡导促进智力残疾个体的性自主权。研究结果对未来的实践具有启示意义，并凸显了对他们的性福祉采取更包容和富有同情心的方法的必要性。
