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

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 spec...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of intellectual disability research 2013-03, Vol.57 (3), p.257-267
Main Authors: Stoffelen, J., Kok, G., Hospers, H., Curfs, L. M. G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Adults
Biological and medical sciences
Child clinical studies
Developmental disorders
Experience
Female
Foreign Countries
Gays & lesbians
homosexual
Homosexuality
Homosexuality, Female - psychology
Homosexuality, Male - psychology
Homosexuals
Humans
Incidence
Intellectual deficiency
Intellectual disabilities
Intellectual Disability
Intellectual Disability - psychology
Interviews
Interviews as Topic
Learning disabilities
learning disability
Learning disabled people
Learning disorders
Learning Disorders - psychology
Lesbians
Male
Medical sciences
Middle Aged
Mild Intellectual Disability
Mild Mental Retardation
Needs
Netherlands
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Qualitative Research
Quality of life
Semi Structured Interviews
Severity of Illness Index
Sex Education
Sexual Abuse
Sexual behavior
Sexual Behavior - psychology
sexual behaviour
Sexual Identity
Sexuality
Social Bias
Social Support
Stereotyping
stigma
support needs
Violence
Young Adult
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0964-2633
1365-2788
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2011.01532.x