The new sexual revolution

Myths about sex and disability

· People with disabilities, especially those with mental disabilities, are not sexually active, and may not even have sexual desires.

Everyone needs affection, love and intimacy, acceptance and companionship, irrespective of whether their disability is physical or mental. Some forms of disability can result in a person being slow in terms of learning development, but they are as physically mature as anyone else.

· People with disabilities are childlike and dependent.

The belief that a disabled person is somehow unable to participate equally in an intimate relationship is commonly held, partly because it makes it easier for people to view a disabled person as an "eternal child". This view ignores the need to acknowledge a young person's sexuality and also denies his or her full humanity.

· People with disabilities cannot control their sexual urges.

Many people believe that some people who are mentally or emotionally impaired are unable to control their emotions or sexual impulses. Such misunderstandings result in a reluctance to provide sex education for young people with disabilities. The reality is that education and training are key to promoting healthy and mutually respectful behavior, regardless of a young person's abilities

Information provided by Advocates for Youth, a US organization that helps young people make informed and responsible decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.

China plays catch-up

The debate about disabilities and sexual and reproductive health is a relatively new development in China, and very few projects have been established so far, according to Alessandra Aresu, country director of Handicap International China, an NGO that works with vulnerable people.

"Very few experts are capable of working on both sexuality and disability at the same time. This is one of the main reasons why so little has been done in this field in China," she said.

However, many countries have been addressing the issue. The United Kingdom and Australia are at the forefront of the debate, and health workers in those countries are leading the discussion about the sexual rights of disabled people.

In the United States, disabled children and their parents can consult a number of different sources - including the Sexuality Information and Education Council, the Sexuality and Disability Training Center, and the Sexual Health Network - about sex education. Professional assistance is also available to associations for specific types of disabilities, for example, autism or spinal cord injuries.

The resources dedicated to the issue are also growing. In 2009, the World Health Organization's Department of Reproductive Health and Research and the UN Population Fund jointly published a guidance note on the promotion of sexual and reproductive health for people with disabilities.