Women with disabilities
Sexuality is a key part of people of all abilities. Taking care of all of your health needs can take time and energy but your healthcare needs include ensuring your sexual and reproductive health needs are also met. Health professionals who you visit for advice about your disability may not be experts in your sexual and reproductive health needs, or may not see your sexual and reproductive health as separate from your disability. Or they may have assumptions that people with disabilities cannot have sex or relationships or have no desire to express their sexuality.
Reproductive and sexual health is an important part of your overall health. In order to make decisions about your health, your body, and your sexual and reproductive health and needs it is important that you can:
- Access relevant information about safe sex, sexuality and reproduction;
- Access suitable sexual and reproductive health services and contraception;
- Access family planning, safe and accessible abortion services, and safe and accessible post-abortion care;
- Communicate assertively to give consent, say ‘no’ to unwanted behaviour and change your mind even if you have already agreed to something;
- Live free from discrimination, coercion and sexual violence.
AMAZE: Disability and sexuality
