TY - JOUR

T1 - Sexual activity and sexual health among young adults with and without mild/moderate intellectual disability

AU - Baines, Susannah

AU - Emerson, Eric

AU - Robertson, Janet

AU - Hatton, Chris

PY - 2018/5/29

Y1 - 2018/5/29

N2 - BACKGROUND: There is widespread concern about the sexual 'vulnerability' of young people with intellectual disabilities, but little evidence relating to sexual activity and sexual health.METHOD: This paper describes a secondary analysis of the nationally representative longitudinal Next Steps study (formerly the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England), investigating sexual activity and sexual health amongst young people with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities. This analysis investigated family socio-economic position, young person socio-economic position, household composition, area deprivation, peer victimisation, friendships, sexual activity, unsafe sex, STIs, pregnancy outcomes and parenting.RESULTS: Most young people with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities have had sexual intercourse by age 19/20, although young women were less likely to have sex prior to 16 than their peers and both men and women with intellectual disabilities were more likely to have unsafe sex 50% or more of the time than their peers. Women with intellectual disabilities were likely to have been pregnant and more likely to be a mother.CONCLUSION: Most young people with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities have sex and are more likely to have unsafe sex than their peers. Education and health services need to operate on the assumption that most young people with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities will have sex.

AB - BACKGROUND: There is widespread concern about the sexual 'vulnerability' of young people with intellectual disabilities, but little evidence relating to sexual activity and sexual health.METHOD: This paper describes a secondary analysis of the nationally representative longitudinal Next Steps study (formerly the Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England), investigating sexual activity and sexual health amongst young people with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities. This analysis investigated family socio-economic position, young person socio-economic position, household composition, area deprivation, peer victimisation, friendships, sexual activity, unsafe sex, STIs, pregnancy outcomes and parenting.RESULTS: Most young people with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities have had sexual intercourse by age 19/20, although young women were less likely to have sex prior to 16 than their peers and both men and women with intellectual disabilities were more likely to have unsafe sex 50% or more of the time than their peers. Women with intellectual disabilities were likely to have been pregnant and more likely to be a mother.CONCLUSION: Most young people with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities have sex and are more likely to have unsafe sex than their peers. Education and health services need to operate on the assumption that most young people with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities will have sex.

KW - Sexual health

KW - Sexual activity

KW - Intellectual disability

KW - Intellectual impairment

KW - Borderline intellectual functioning

KW - Cognitive ability

U2 - 10.1186/s12889-018-5572-9

DO - 10.1186/s12889-018-5572-9

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29843657

VL - 18

JO - BMC Public Health

JF - BMC Public Health

SN - 1471-2458

IS - 1

M1 - 667

ER -