ERIC Number: EJ1254769
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1468-1811
EISSN: N/A
Experiences of Teaching Sexual and Reproductive Health to Students with Intellectual Disabilities
Nelson, Becky; Odberg Pettersson, Karen; Emmelin, Maria
Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, v20 n4 p398-412 2020
There is growing awareness and international commitment to improving sexual and reproductive health for persons with intellectual disabilities. Despite this, people with intellectual disabilities continue to face stigma and have limited access to sexual health education and information. This qualitative phenomenological study uses data from 10 interviews to describe what it means to teach sexual and reproductive health and rights to students with intellectual disabilities at special-needs schools in southern Sweden. The meaning of teachers' experience is described through their efforts to 'accept the challenge to coach special-needs students into adulthood'. Findings show that sexual and reproductive health in special-needs schools covers a broad range of topics and that the teacher must adapt to students' shifting needs. They also reveal that teachers are motivated and have access to the necessary resources to teach sexual and reproductive health but feel they lack the skills to address students' particular sexual health issues, including questions of culture and religion. Schools are the main source of sexual health information in Sweden and therefore play a crucial role in providing equal education and promoting public health.
Descriptors: Sex Education, Intellectual Disability, Students with Disabilities, Civil Rights, Birth, Foreign Countries, Social Bias, Disability Discrimination, Teacher Attitudes, Special Schools, Teacher Role, Teacher Competencies, Student Needs, Cultural Influences, Religious Factors
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Sweden
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A