Background: Tanzania has a sexual and reproductive health (SRH) crisis, a particularly vulnerable population of people with disabilities (PWD), and a need for healthcare providers trained in PWD-focused SRH care. However, SRH services are limited, and the inclusion of PWD in SRH efforts is rare in Tanzania. The current study examined the feasibility and acceptability of addressing this critical gap by training future healthcare professionals in SRH for PWD. Objective: To determine the feasibility and acceptability of a PWD-focused SRH training to be delivered to healthcare students attending Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science (MUHAS) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods: A mixed methods design via a survey taken by 409 medical, nursing, and midwifery student participants was employed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a new curriculum focused on the SRH needs of PWD. Data were assessed using descriptive statistics and reflexive content analysis. Results: Data indicate that 83.6% and 97.6% of medical, nursing, and midwifery students believe that an SRH training centered on the needs of PWD is feasible and acceptable, respectively. Moreover, findings indicated that 50.4% of medical, nursing, and midwifery students at MUHAS receive little to no training in SRH for PWD. Participants’ qualitative responses indicated that the training would improve the quality of life for PWD, address their vulnerability and healthcare neglect, and benefit society. Conclusion: MUHAS students find a PWD-focused SRH training to be feasible, acceptable, and needed, presenting an opportunity for great impact.

Research shows that young adults with intellectual disabilities struggle to understand the social codes embedded in sexual situations. This may lead to an incomprehension of sexual consent, or when consenting to sex may lead to abuse. This qualitative study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of sexual experiences and perceptions about sexual consent among Swedish young adults with intellectual disabilities. The data comprise 22 semi-structured interviews with young adults aged 18-35 with intellectual disabilities, thematically analyzed using sexual script theory as a theoretical framework. Four themes emerged from the analysis: Setting the sexual scene, Sexual self-awareness, Sexual communication and the necessity of clarification and Striving for a balance. The results show that the participants had a variety of sexual experiences and challenges associated with sexual consent, but also an agency that favors sexual situations. Further research is necessary to understand the complexities of sexual consent in this population.

Men än var fjärde singel i Sverige har nätdejtat och många hittar sin partner via dejtingappar. Fenomenet är världsomspännande. År 2024 hade Tinder mer än 80  miljoner användare, varav mer än 9 miljoner betalande medlemmar. Ändå är kunskapen begränsad. 

Vilka erfarenheter har nätdejtare av apparna? Är det lättare att träffas i det digitala dejtinglandskapet än i den fysiska världen? Eller förloras något av den intimitet som kan uppstå i möten utanför dejtingapparna? En trend kan anas att nätdejtare börjar tröttna på det stora utbudet av potentiella partners och känslan av utbytbarhet, och i stället suktar efter äkthet och långsam dejting. 

Ett är emellertid säkert: längtan efter intimitet och relationer är evig.

This study explores how police officers and civilian investigators in Sweden describe their knowledge and experiences of handling sexual crimes involving people with intellectual disabilities—a group disproportionately affected by such crimes and often marginalized in justice processes. A thematic analysis was conducted based on qualitative research interviews with 12 informants, and analyzed through the lens of intersectional disability theory. The study identified three central themes: a) gut feeling as a tool, b) particularly underreported sexual crimes, and c) cooperation as a strategy. The findings show how institutional practices may reproduce or challenge legal marginalization and highlight gaps in competences, routines, and coordination. The study concludes that a disability-informed and intersectional approach within the justice system is needed to ensure equitable treatment, improve support, and uphold the legal rights of people with intellectual disability.

Summary: Research shows that young adults with intellectual disabilities are eager to engage in conversations about sexuality and intimacy, but the nuances of these discussions from their own perspective remain unexplored. This study aims to understand the challenges, facilitators, and dynamics that influence these young adults' engagement in conversations about sexuality and intimacy with family, friends, and support networks. The data comprise 22 qualitative interviews with Swedish young adults aged 18-35 with intellectual disabilities.

Findings: Thematic analysis revealed four themes: (1) Sharing is caring-motivating and initiating conversations about sexuality and intimacy; (2) Safe spaces-facilitators of sexual and intimate communication; (3) Being overlooked and feeling unheard; and (4) Overprotection and self-blame. The findings show that young adults with intellectual disabilities encounter additional challenges when engaging in conversations about sexual or intimate matters with their broader support networks. Trust plays a pivotal role in determining with whom they choose to have conversations about these topics, and societal norms can impede the occurrence of crucial conversations. In the discussion, the findings are explored further guided by Ken Plummer's theoretical framework, which outlines four levels in the process of producing and consuming socially constructed sexual narratives.

Applications: These insights are vital for enhancing social work practices, informing policy development, and guiding the creation of supportive interventions that foster inclusive environments. By recognizing and addressing these barriers, professionals can better support the sexual health and well-being of young adults with intellectual disabilities, promoting their agency and self-determination in intimate matters.

BACKGROUND: This study explored peer-led sex education for individuals with intellectual disabilities and/or autism (ID/ASD) from the perspective of project leaders within Swedish non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The purpose of this Grounded Theory study was to develop a conceptual model that characterizes the ways in which peer-led sex education is implemented by Swedish NGOs. This was done by exploring what the concept of peer-led sex education means to NGO project leaders, and how they experience, explain and reason about the application of peer education in their daily operations.

METHODS: This study conducted 12 qualitative in-depth interviews with project leaders working with peer-led sex education initiatives. Grounded Theory enabled the construction of a conceptual model.

RESULTS: The study identified the core category, "Shifting participatory approach when ideology meets reality," encapsulating project leaders' experiences in managing peer-led sex education programs. Three distinct approaches were discerned: (1) The Radical approach, where project leaders prioritize empowerment and norm criticism, striving to create an inclusive and equitable environment for individuals with ID/ASD. This approach resonates with Paulo Freire's pedagogy of the oppressed, emphasizing liberation through education. (2) The Pragmatic approach, which navigates the tension between ideology and pragmatism, recognizing the co-dependency between project leaders and persons with ID/ASD. External pressures from funders and the requirements to achieve tangible project outcomes inform this approach. (3) The Skeptical approach, which exhibits caution, doubting the capabilities and willingness of individuals with ID/ASD to challenge societal norms and work equally with people without ID/ASD.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscore the complexity of peer-led sex education programs and highlight the need for a balanced approach that addresses both ideological aspirations and practical constraints. Empowerment and norm criticism are central to fostering agency and challenging oppressive systems. However, the pragmatic realities of project management and external pressures necessitate a delicate balance. Understanding these diverse approaches can inform the design of more effective initiatives, ultimately contributing to sexual and reproductive health and rights of individuals with ID/ASD.

Power asymmetries and career gatekeeping have been highlighted in previous research as central factors for understanding why doctoral students are vulnerable to sexual harassment. However, there is a lack of up-to-date research addressing how power and career gatekeeping impact the perceived risk of sexual harassment among doctoral students in the Swedish context. The aim of the present study is to explore how the perceived risk of sexual harassment among doctoral students is affected by the distinctive power relations and career gatekeeping that are characteristic of the doctoral student position. The data comprise six focus groups that included a total of 18 doctoral students enrolled at a Swedish university. The results show that the established procedures for academic career advancement have a pervasive impact on the perceived risk of sexual harassment, with career gatekeeping playing a pivotal role as senior academics are perceived as gatekeepers in relation to career opportunities.

This study explores experiences of and refections on sexual harassment in academiaamong students and doctoral students from Belgium, Croatia, Germany, and Sweden. Prevalence studies show that sexual harassment is a common occurrence andhas negative consequences not only on mental health in general but also on academic performance. However, little is known about what kinds of support and prevention are needed. Therefore, the aim of this study has been to develop in-depthknowledge about students’ and doctoral students’ refections on how victims of sexual harassment in academia should be supported, and how sexual harassment in academia could be prevented. To achieve this aim, 54 individual interviews, and 6 focusgroup interviews with 18 participants, were conducted between 2020 and 2022 witha total of 72 participants at the bachelors, masters, doctoral level or state exam level.Based on a thematic analysis three themes emerged: (a) Information on sexual harassment, (b) Prerequisites for reporting and intervening, and (c) Support as a preventive activity. The results show an urgent need for information, since this is perceivedas lacking by students and doctoral students, and suggested strategies for information provision are presented. Further, there are challenges related to reporting, andignorance about how to intervene when sexual harassment is witnessed. Professionalsupport is described as important, along with support from peers, mentors, family,and friends. These fndings are relevant for researchers and for clinicians at university student health centres, to develop relevant preventive and supportive interventions in the context of academia.

Self-reported victimization among young women in the Swedish Crime Survey increased during the early- to mid-2010s, resulting in a gender gap, with young women reporting 10% to 15% higher victimization rates than young men. In this study, we use multi-group confirmatory factor analysis to assess whether the increase in victimization rates is due to declines in measurement equivalence across different cohorts of young women during the period 2009 to 2016. The results show cohort differences in how young women interpret the victimization items in the Swedish Crime Survey, especially with regard to the item about sexual victimization. The results show that the increasing victimization rates are likely the result of changes in perceptions about sexual offences, rather than an actual increase.

Sex education geared towards people with intellectual disability often focuses sexual risks and reproduction. However, research shows that students at special schools often find this inadequate and irrelevant. This conceptual article examines this issue from a crip theoretical perspective, combined with the classical concept of stigma. Furthermore, the term killjoy is added to the analysis; a term located at the intersection between queer and feminist theories. Might those in the environment surrounding individuals with ID, i.e., staff and family members, function as "killjoys" in relation to sexuality and intellectual disability? Or might they develop into "thrilljoys", i.e., individuals who facilitate the embracement of stigma, with a focus on enjoyment rather than apparent problems in relation to sexuality and people with ID? The aim of this article is to highlight the significance of the social environment for these young people's needs and life conditions, and to challenge presumptions that have to date been taken f & ouml;r granted. The result shows that assuming the role of thrilljoy means listening in a flexible and relevant way to the wishes that people with ID themselves express. This might in turn also make it easier for people with ID to themselves adopt a crip theoretical perspective and to really embrace that which has up until now been defined as a stigma. Developing new ways of looking at non-normative intellectual functionality and sexuality could contribute to develop sex education geared towards this goal group in a sufficient way.