Exploring the Influence of LGBTQ+ and Religious Attitudes in Sexual Health Education for College Students With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

Background: Comprehensive sexual health education is a human right routinely denied to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Although queerness and religion are critical parts of comprehensive sexual health education, they are rarely addressed in the literature. Methods: Fifteen college students with intellectual and developmental disabilities enrolled in a programme that includes a sexual health education course participated in semi-structured interviews about the class. Responses related to attitudes about religion, gender identity and sexual orientation were thematically analysed. Results: Participants expressed varied views about religion and queerness influenced by factors including the desexualisation stereotype (the widespread idea that disabled people should not be sexually active), access to formal and informal sexual health education and restrictive religious teachings. Conclusions: The diversity in perspectives shown here is an important consideration for the development of sexual health education programmes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in educational and community-based settings.