Disability, sexuality and sociosexual relationships in women's everyday life

Gisela Helmius

doi:10.1080/15017419909510737

Original Articles

Disability, sexuality and sociosexual relationships in women's everyday life

Author:

Gisela Helmius

About Gisela

Gisela Helmius, PhD in sociology, research-leader at the FoU-Unit, Stockholm County Aids Prevention Programme. For many years affiliated to the Projects for Research on Human Sexuality at the Department of Sociology, Uppsala University.

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Abstract

This article draws on a qualitative study in Sweden in which 21 women from three generations, with congenital physical disabilities, were interviewed about their daily life. Using a social constructionist perspective on both disability and sexuality, this paper focuses on sexuality and sociosexual relationships as part of these women's everyday life. Data indicate that disabled women in younger generations might accumulate experiences of sexuality differently from women in older generations. But regardless of generation, the most common pattern is that these women recount their teenage years as an unhappy period in terms of exclusion from sociosexual relationships. One conclusion drawn is that issues of autonomy, independence and personal assistants in these women's everyday life are brought to a head when they are related to private sexual life. Also, there is still a way to go as regards integration and enabling interventions in the field of women, disability and sexuality.

How to Cite: Helmius, G., 1999. Disability, sexuality and sociosexual relationships in women's everyday life. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research, 1(1), pp.50–63. DOI: http://doi.org/10.1080/15017419909510737

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Published on 01 Jul 1999

Peer Reviewed

CC BY 4.0

References

Barron , K (1997a). . . Disability and Gender. Autonomy as an Indication of Adulthood. , [city: Uppsala]: : Uppsala University. .
Barron , K (1997b). . . The bumpy road to womanhood. . >Disability & Society , 12: : 223.–.
Baugh , RJ (1984). . . Sexuality Education for the Visually and Hearing Impaired Child in the Regular Classroom. . The Journal of School Health , 54: : 407.–.
Beckman , CRB , Gittler , M , Barzansky , BM and Beckman , CA (1989). . . Gynecologic Health Care of Women With Disabilities. . Obstetrics & Gynecology , 74: : 75.–.
Begum , N (1992). . . Disabled Women and the Feminist Agenda. . Feminist Review , 40: : 70.–.
Browne , SE , Connors , D and Stern , N (1985). . . With the Power of Each Breath: A Disabled Women's Anthology. , [city: Pittsburg]: : Cleis Press. .
Deegan , MJ and Brooks , NA (1985). , eds. . Women and Disability: The Double Handicap. , [city: NJ], [state: New Brunnswick]: : Transaction. .
Fine , M and Asch , A (1988). , eds. . Women with Disabilities: Essays in Psychology, Culture, and Politics. , [city: Philadelphia]: : Temple University Press. .
Gagnon , JH and Simon , W (1973). . . Sexual Conduct; The Social Sources of Human Sexuality. , [city: Chicago]: : Aldine Publishing Company. .
Helmius , G (1999). . . “Handikapp och kön: Arbete och sexualitet i kvinnors vardag [Disability and gender: Work and sexuality in women's everyday life]. ”. In Handikapp synsätt‐principer‐perspektiv [Handicap attitudes‐principles‐perspectives]. , Edited by: Tideman , M . [city: Stockholm]: : Johansson & Skyttmo Förlag AB. .
Helmius , G (1993). . . Kvinnor och handikapp‐Jungfrulig forskningsmark [Women and Disability‐Virgin Territory. A Reasoned Bibliography]. , [city: Uppsala]: : Centre for Handicap Research at Uppsala University. .
Helmius , G (). . Adolescent Sexual Joy, Physical Dependency and the Adult World's Troubled Concern. . Paper presented at 6^thcongress of International Federation for Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida. . Aug.14–18, , [city: Stockholm].
Helmius , G (1990). . . Mogen för sex?! Det sexuellt restriktiviserande samhället och ungdomars heterosexuella glädje [Mature enough for sex?! The Sexually Restricting Society and Adolescent Heterosexual Joy]. , [city: Uppsala]: : Uppsala University. . (With an English summery).
Hendey , N and Pascall , G (1998). . . Independent Living: gender, violence and the threat of violence. . Disability & Society , 13: : 415.–.
Jarkman , K (1996). . . Ett liv att leva. Om familjer, funktionshinder och vardagens villkor [A life to live. On families, disabilities and everyday life conditions]. , [city: Stockholm]: : Carlssons. .
Kallianes , V and Rubenfeld , P (1997). . . Disabled Women and Reproductive Rights. . Disability & Society , 12: : 203.–.
Lagerheim , B (1990). . . Att utvecklas med handikapp [Developing with a disability]. , [city: Stockholm]: : Almqvist & Wiksell. .
Lewin , B and Helmius , G (1983). . . “Ungdom och Sexualitet; En sociologisk studie av ungdomars sexuella föreställningar och erfarenheter [Youth and Sexuality; a sociological study of young people's sexual conceptions and experiences]. ”. [city: Uppsala]: : Uppsala University Press. .
Lewin , B (1987). . . “Att se sexualiteten. Om sexuell socialisation, förhållningssätt och sexuella erfarenheter bland människor med medfödda funktionshinder [Perceiving Sexuality. Sexual socialisation, attitudes and sexual experience among young people with congenital disabilities]. ”. [city: Uppsala]: : Uppsala University Press. .
Lonsdale , S (1990). . . Women and Disability. The Experience of Physical Disability Among Women. , [city: London]: : The Macmillan Press Ltd. .
Macdougall , JC and Morin , S (1979). . . Sexual Attitudes and Self‐Reported Behavior of Congenitally Disabled Adults. . Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science , 11: : 190.–.
Morris , J (1991). . . Pride Against Prejudice. Transforming Attitudes to Disability. , [city: London]: : The Women's Press Ltd. .
Munford , R (1995). . . A position of marginalization or inclusion? The experiences of women with disabilities. . New Zealand Journal of Disability Studies , 1: : 29.–.
Odgers , S (1979). . . Five Types of Men Disabled Women Should Avoid. . Accent on Living , 24: : 72.–.
Saxton , M and Howe , F (1987). , eds. London 1987. With Wings. An Anthology of Literature by Women with Disabilities. , London 1987, Virago Press. .
Segal , L (1998). . . Only the literal: the contradictions of anti‐pornography feminism. . Sexualities , 1: : 43.–.
Senn , CY (1989). . . Vulnerable. Sexual Abuse and People with an Intellectual handicap. , [city: Downsview], [state: Ontario]: : The G. Allan Roeher Institute. . 3^rd printing.
Smith , D (1987). . . The Everyday World As Problematic. A Feminist Sociology. , [city: Boston]: : Northeastern University Press. .
Stevens , SE , Steele , CA , Jutai , JW , Kalnins , IV , Bortolussi , JA and Biggar , WD (1996). . . Adolescents with physical disabilities: Some psychological aspects of health. . Journal of Adolescent Health , 19: : 157.–.
Welbourne , A , Lifschitz , S , Hanan , S and Green , R (1983). . . A Comparison of the Sexual Learning Experiences of Visually Impaired and Sighted Women. . Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness , 77: : 256.–.
Wendell , S (1996). . . The Rejected Body. Feminist Philosophical Reflections on Disability. , [city: New York/London]: : Routledge. .
Öien , K (1988). , ed. . Kvinne‐eller bare funksjonshemmet [Woman‐or just disabled]. , [city: Oslo]: : Friundervisningens Forlag. .

[CIT0001] Barron , K (1997a). . . Disability and Gender. Autonomy as an Indication of Adulthood. , [city: Uppsala]: : Uppsala University. .

[CIT0002] Barron , K (1997b). . . The bumpy road to womanhood. . >Disability & Society , 12: : 223.–.

[CIT0003] Baugh , RJ (1984). . . Sexuality Education for the Visually and Hearing Impaired Child in the Regular Classroom. . The Journal of School Health , 54: : 407.–.

[CIT0004] Beckman , CRB , Gittler , M , Barzansky , BM and Beckman , CA (1989). . . Gynecologic Health Care of Women With Disabilities. . Obstetrics & Gynecology , 74: : 75.–.

[CIT0005] Begum , N (1992). . . Disabled Women and the Feminist Agenda. . Feminist Review , 40: : 70.–.

[CIT0006] Browne , SE , Connors , D and Stern , N (1985). . . With the Power of Each Breath: A Disabled Women's Anthology. , [city: Pittsburg]: : Cleis Press. .

[CIT0007] Deegan , MJ and Brooks , NA (1985). , eds. . Women and Disability: The Double Handicap. , [city: NJ], [state: New Brunnswick]: : Transaction. .

[CIT0008] Fine , M and Asch , A (1988). , eds. . Women with Disabilities: Essays in Psychology, Culture, and Politics. , [city: Philadelphia]: : Temple University Press. .

[CIT0009] Gagnon , JH and Simon , W (1973). . . Sexual Conduct; The Social Sources of Human Sexuality. , [city: Chicago]: : Aldine Publishing Company. .

[CIT0010] Helmius , G (1999). . . “Handikapp och kön: Arbete och sexualitet i kvinnors vardag [Disability and gender: Work and sexuality in women's everyday life]. ”. In Handikapp synsätt‐principer‐perspektiv [Handicap attitudes‐principles‐perspectives]. , Edited by: Tideman , M . [city: Stockholm]: : Johansson & Skyttmo Förlag AB. .

[CIT0011] Helmius , G (1993). . . Kvinnor och handikapp‐Jungfrulig forskningsmark [Women and Disability‐Virgin Territory. A Reasoned Bibliography]. , [city: Uppsala]: : Centre for Handicap Research at Uppsala University. .

[CIT0012] Helmius , G (). . Adolescent Sexual Joy, Physical Dependency and the Adult World's Troubled Concern. . Paper presented at 6^thcongress of International Federation for Hydrocephalus and Spina Bifida. . Aug.14–18, , [city: Stockholm].

[CIT0013] Helmius , G (1990). . . Mogen för sex?! Det sexuellt restriktiviserande samhället och ungdomars heterosexuella glädje [Mature enough for sex?! The Sexually Restricting Society and Adolescent Heterosexual Joy]. , [city: Uppsala]: : Uppsala University. . (With an English summery).

[CIT0014] Hendey , N and Pascall , G (1998). . . Independent Living: gender, violence and the threat of violence. . Disability & Society , 13: : 415.–.

[CIT0015] Jarkman , K (1996). . . Ett liv att leva. Om familjer, funktionshinder och vardagens villkor [A life to live. On families, disabilities and everyday life conditions]. , [city: Stockholm]: : Carlssons. .

[CIT0016] Kallianes , V and Rubenfeld , P (1997). . . Disabled Women and Reproductive Rights. . Disability & Society , 12: : 203.–.

[CIT0017] Lagerheim , B (1990). . . Att utvecklas med handikapp [Developing with a disability]. , [city: Stockholm]: : Almqvist & Wiksell. .

[CIT0018] Lewin , B and Helmius , G (1983). . . “Ungdom och Sexualitet; En sociologisk studie av ungdomars sexuella föreställningar och erfarenheter [Youth and Sexuality; a sociological study of young people's sexual conceptions and experiences]. ”. [city: Uppsala]: : Uppsala University Press. .

[CIT0019] Lewin , B (1987). . . “Att se sexualiteten. Om sexuell socialisation, förhållningssätt och sexuella erfarenheter bland människor med medfödda funktionshinder [Perceiving Sexuality. Sexual socialisation, attitudes and sexual experience among young people with congenital disabilities]. ”. [city: Uppsala]: : Uppsala University Press. .

[CIT0020] Lonsdale , S (1990). . . Women and Disability. The Experience of Physical Disability Among Women. , [city: London]: : The Macmillan Press Ltd. .

[CIT0021] Macdougall , JC and Morin , S (1979). . . Sexual Attitudes and Self‐Reported Behavior of Congenitally Disabled Adults. . Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science , 11: : 190.–.

[CIT0022] Morris , J (1991). . . Pride Against Prejudice. Transforming Attitudes to Disability. , [city: London]: : The Women's Press Ltd. .

[CIT0023] Munford , R (1995). . . A position of marginalization or inclusion? The experiences of women with disabilities. . New Zealand Journal of Disability Studies , 1: : 29.–.

[CIT0024] Odgers , S (1979). . . Five Types of Men Disabled Women Should Avoid. . Accent on Living , 24: : 72.–.

[CIT0025] Saxton , M and Howe , F (1987). , eds. London 1987. With Wings. An Anthology of Literature by Women with Disabilities. , London 1987, Virago Press. .

[CIT0026] Segal , L (1998). . . Only the literal: the contradictions of anti‐pornography feminism. . Sexualities , 1: : 43.–.

[CIT0027] Senn , CY (1989). . . Vulnerable. Sexual Abuse and People with an Intellectual handicap. , [city: Downsview], [state: Ontario]: : The G. Allan Roeher Institute. . 3^rd printing.

[CIT0028] Smith , D (1987). . . The Everyday World As Problematic. A Feminist Sociology. , [city: Boston]: : Northeastern University Press. .

[CIT0029] Stevens , SE , Steele , CA , Jutai , JW , Kalnins , IV , Bortolussi , JA and Biggar , WD (1996). . . Adolescents with physical disabilities: Some psychological aspects of health. . Journal of Adolescent Health , 19: : 157.–.

[CIT0030] Welbourne , A , Lifschitz , S , Hanan , S and Green , R (1983). . . A Comparison of the Sexual Learning Experiences of Visually Impaired and Sighted Women. . Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness , 77: : 256.–.

[CIT0031] Wendell , S (1996). . . The Rejected Body. Feminist Philosophical Reflections on Disability. , [city: New York/London]: : Routledge. .

[CIT0032] Öien , K (1988). , ed. . Kvinne‐eller bare funksjonshemmet [Woman‐or just disabled]. , [city: Oslo]: : Friundervisningens Forlag. .

Reading: Disability, sexuality and sociosexual relationships in women's everyday life

Original Articles

Disability, sexuality and sociosexual relationships in women's everyday life

Author:

Gisela Helmius

About Gisela

X close

Abstract

References