Position Statement: Sexuality And Disability

To read or print PDF Full Text, Adobe Reader must be installed on the computer.
Adobe Reader is available free from Adobe

[ view pdf version ]

Sexuality and Disability - A rights approach

Family Planning Queensland (FPQ) advocates that people with disabilities must be acknowledged as sexual beings, and have access to information and resources to make informed choices about their sexuality and sexual and reproductive health. It is essential that people with a disability be supported to make choices and decisions that offer the least restrictive alternative to their health and lifestyle.

FPQ supports the principles contained in the Disability Services Act ( Queensland ) 2006, which states that people with disabilities have the right to:

• respect for their human worth and dignity as individuals
• realise their individual capacities for physical, social, emotional and intellectual development
• services that support their attaining a reasonable quality of life in a way that supports their family unit and their full participation in society
• participate actively in the decisions that affect their lives, including the development of disability policies, programs and services
• any necessary support, and access to information, to enable them to participate in decisions that affect their lives
• receive services in a way that results in the minimum restriction of their rights and opportunities.

FPQ works to ensure that all its services are developed and managed according to these principles. FPQ actively promotes the right of people with disabilities to access effective sexuality education programs, resources, information and clinical services that meet their sexual and reproductive health needs.

FPQ believes that this will enhance the lives of people with a disability by:

• improving sexual and reproductive health
• decreasing risk of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections
• decreasing socially inappropriate behaviours that may increase isolation within society
• promoting healthy and safe relationships
• decreasing vulnerability to sexual abuse and exploitation

FPQ advocates for supportive policy frameworks and the development of sexual and reproductive health resources to address specific learning needs.