Malmö University Publications
Change search
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf
Röster som vill höras: sexuella erfarenheter, samtycke och samtal bland unga vuxna med intellektuell funktionsnedsättning
Malmö University, Faculty of Health and Society (HS), Department of Social Work (SA). Malmö University, Centre for Sexology and Sexuality Studies (CSS).ORCID iD: 0000-0002-1942-524X
2024 (Swedish)Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

Sexuality is a fundamental aspect of human life, encompassing a broad spectrum of experiences, emotions, and relationships. For young adults with intellectual disabilities, navigating this complex area can be particularly challenging due to consequences of the disability as well as a result of societal norms, misconceptions, and barriers to open communication. This licentiate thesis examines the sexuality of young adults with intellectual disabilities in relation to three central areas: sexual experiences, consent, and their conversations with others about sexuality and intimacy. The study is qualitative, and grounded in the voices of young adults, comprising 22 individual interviews. This compilation thesis comprises two articles. Article I, entitled A thin line between consent and abuse - Reflections on sexual experiences among Swedish young adults with intellectual disabilities, focuses on sexual experiences and understandings of consent. The result shows broad variations of sexual experiences and challenges related to sexual consent. The study demonstrates that sexual agency is important for the ability to navigate in sexual situations. This highlights the complexity of the participants' sexual lives, in which challenges and sexual agency coexist. The article problematizes societal perceptions that often frame sexual experiences of young adults with intellectual disabilities as solely being characterized by vulnerability or risk, while the result also mirror more positive experiences among the target group. Article II, Sharing Intimate Stories: Conversations with Support Networks About Sexuality and Intimacy Among Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Sweden, explores how young adults engage in conversations about their sexual and intimate lives and experiences with their family, friends and support networks. The results imply that these conversations are crucial for an understanding of sexuality and to promote a sense of sexual agency among young adults with intellectual disabilities. The study shows the participants' active role in initiating and participating in these conversations, which further emphasizes their sexual agency. An important insight from the study is the significance of the environment and of personal characteristics in creating the safety required for these conversations to take place. Factors such as the physical environment, timing, and the characteristics of conversation partners, including openness and a trust-inspiring attitude, proved to be crucial in establishing an atmosphere in which participants felt safe to discuss intimate topics. However, the study also shows that these dialogues are often hindered by restrictive attitudes towards sexuality and intellectual disability and a lack of open communication around sexuality and disability. For social work professionals, and staff members particularly those working closely with young adults with intellectual disabilities, these findings underscore the importance of creating supportive environments that facilitate open and respectful conversations about sexuality. Understanding the factors that contribute to a safe and trusting environment is essential for practitioners aiming to foster meaningful conversations and to support the sexual agency of this population. In conclusion, this study contributes to an in-depth knowledge on sexual experiences, sexual consent, and sexual conversations among young adults with intellectual disabilities. By highlighting the participants' own voices and reflections on these areas, the study illuminates both challenges as well as sexual agencies   among target group's sexual lives. The findings emphasize the need for social work practices to adopt an inclusive and respectful approaches to support young adults' sexual health and well-being. This includes recognizing and promoting sexual agency while creating safe environments and relationships that enable open conversations about sexuality and intimacy. These results may form the basis for future research, policy development, and practical interventions in social work. Addressing the identified challenges and barriers will improve living conditions for young adults with intellectual disabilities to explore and express sexuality in a safe and self-determining manner, while also respecting and enhancing sexual agency. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Malmö: Malmö University Press, 2024. , p. 102
Series
FoU-rapport, ISSN 1650-2337 ; 2024:4
Keywords [en]
Sexuality, Intimacy, Sexual Consent, Intellectual Disability, Conversations
National Category
Social Work
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-72199DOI: 10.24834/isbn.9789178775392ISBN: 9789178775385 (print)ISBN: 9789178775392 (electronic)OAI: oai:DiVA.org:mau-72199DiVA, id: diva2:1913291
Presentation
2024-12-16, Niagara NI: COE11, Nordenskiöldsgatan 1, Malmö, 13:15 (Swedish)
Opponent
Supervisors
Note

Paper II in dissertation as manuscript

Available from: 2024-11-19 Created: 2024-11-14 Last updated: 2025-01-23Bibliographically approved
List of papers
1. A thin line between consent and abuse: Reflections on sexual experiences among Swedish young adults with intellectual disabilities
Open this publication in new window or tab >>A thin line between consent and abuse: Reflections on sexual experiences among Swedish young adults with intellectual disabilities
2024 (English)In: Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, ISSN 1744-6295, E-ISSN 1744-6309Article in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
Abstract [en]

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.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sage Publications, 2024
Keywords
Intellectual disabilities, sexual consent, sexual experiences, sexual script, thematic analysis
National Category
Health Sciences
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-71675 (URN)10.1177/17446295241276245 (DOI)001328936100001 ()39380312 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85205817542 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2024-10-22 Created: 2024-10-22 Last updated: 2024-11-14Bibliographically approved
2. Sharing Intimate Stories: Conversations with Support Networks About Sexuality and Intimacy Among Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Sweden
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Sharing Intimate Stories: Conversations with Support Networks About Sexuality and Intimacy Among Young Adults with Intellectual Disabilities in Sweden
(English)Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
National Category
Social Work
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-72209 (URN)
Available from: 2024-11-14 Created: 2024-11-14 Last updated: 2024-11-19Bibliographically approved

Open Access in DiVA

fulltext(2488 kB)148 downloads
File information
File name FULLTEXT01.pdfFile size 2488 kBChecksum SHA-512
bf1473dbcd9d578515a62ac09124c4d0af69bd7e2f1147b3966b8b91eaf3312869817cb231946156195d0d1d397977e8619e2826e839daf9e75efda6342a7b1e
Type fulltextMimetype application/pdf

Other links

Publisher's full text

Authority records

Hart, Anna

Search in DiVA

By author/editor
Hart, Anna
By organisation
Department of Social Work (SA)Centre for Sexology and Sexuality Studies (CSS)
Social Work

Search outside of DiVA

GoogleGoogle Scholar
Total: 148 downloads
The number of downloads is the sum of all downloads of full texts. It may include eg previous versions that are now no longer available

doi
isbn
urn-nbn

Altmetric score

doi
isbn
urn-nbn
Total: 957 hits
CiteExportLink to record
Permanent link

Direct link
Cite
Citation style
  • apa
  • ieee
  • modern-language-association-8th-edition
  • vancouver
  • Other style
More styles
Language
  • de-DE
  • en-GB
  • en-US
  • fi-FI
  • nn-NO
  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
More languages
Output format
  • html
  • text
  • asciidoc
  • rtf