Homosexuality among people with a mild intellectual disability: an explorative study on the lived experiences of homosexual people in the Netherlands with a mild intellectual disability.
Nearly half of homosexual adults with mild ID reported sexual abuse and voiced a lack of support and sex education tailored to them.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers in the Netherlands talked to the adults with mild intellectual disability who identified as gay or lesbian.
They used open interviews to learn how these adults felt about love, sex, and support in their lives.
What they found
Six of the the adults said they had been sexually abused. Most said they never got sex education that fit their needs.
Some felt proud of who they were, but many felt alone and unsure where to turn for help.
How this fits with other research
Ali et al. (2016) also show that adults with ID slip through system cracks. They found many prisoners with ID were stuck on remand without proper support, echoing the lack of support seen here.
A-Bigby et al. (2009) showed that youths with ID can be led to change answers when questions are repeated. Their work reminds us to use clear, non-leading questions when we ask about abuse or sexual identity.
Together, these studies paint the same picture: people with ID face extra risk and get less help, whether the topic is abuse, justice, or identity.
Why it matters
If you serve adults with mild ID, ask about sexual orientation and past abuse in plain words. Offer simple, visual sex-ed lessons that include LGBTQ topics. Link clients to LGBTQ-friendly counselors who know ID. These steps can cut isolation and boost safety.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: Empirical research on homosexuality among people with an intellectual disability (ID) is limited and, to date, very little is known regarding the personal experiences of gay and lesbian people with an ID. This study set out to answer the question: What are the lived experiences of a specific cohort of homosexual people with an intellectual disability living in the Netherlands? METHOD: To answer this question, a qualitative study was performed in which 21 people with a mild ID were interviewed via semi-structured interviews. In this study, 19 participants were men and two were women (average age = 40.5 years). RESULTS: Participants reported positive and negative experiences, and talked about their gay or lesbian identity. Almost half of the participants (n = 10) reported that they had experienced sexual abuse including partner violence (n = 6). Additionally, they indicated that there was a lack of support for homosexual people with an ID. CONCLUSION: Specific problems impact the lives of homosexual people with ID, namely the high prevalence of negative sexual experiences, the lack of support, training and sex education, and their search for a suitable partner.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2013 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2011.01532.x