The aim of this report is to provide in-depth knowledge on sexual and reproductive health and rights among young adults with intellectual disabilities. The report is based on a qualitative study performed in 2018 in Malmö, Sweden. A total of 19 interviews with teenagers and young adults between 16 and 31 years old attending schools for persons with learning disabilities were performed, including 9 men and 10 women. The interviewees had minor or moderate intellectual disabilities and their verbal and communicative skills were relatively good, although these varied within the group. Of the 19 interviewees, 15 had one or two parents born in another country than Sweden.

Results in brief:

• The majority of the interviewees were satisfied with their general and sexual health.
• Most of the interviewees said that they are free to choose a partner on their own, while a few declared that their parents and relatives had opinions about or chose a partner for them.
• Experiences of genital mutilation exist among a few of the female interviewees, the genital mutilation were undertaken in their previous home countries. None of the male interviewees have experienced circumcision.
• Some of the interviewees had experiences of kissing, hugging, petting and intercourse, while others had not had any sexual experiences with a partner.
• Some of the interviewees had had relationships. These relationships did not always include sexual acts with a partner.
• Most of the interviewees had had sexual education in school, but the education was perceived as insufficient or irrelevant. Some of the interviewees lacked basic sexual knowledge.
• The internet is used to search for sex-related information and to stay in touch with friends, to find partners or to use pornography.
• Experiences of non- consensual sex such as sexual harassment, sexual violations and rape were reported exist among the interviewees. Moreover, there were experiences of having been tricked online and of having been harrassed or violated among the interviewees.

Ways forward

Young people with intellectual disabilities need sexual education adjusted to their needs and preconditions. There is also a need for strengthened work regarding the prevention of sexual harassment and violations, both online and offline. Moreover, further research is needed on intellectual disability in relation to sexuality and honor related contexts, in order to improve sexual and reproductive health and rights among young people with intellectual disability.