Healthy Relationships
According to the World Health Organization, "Sexuality is an integral part of the personality of everyone: man, woman, and child; it is a basic need and aspect of being human that cannot be separated from other aspects of life." Sexuality is a normal part of the human experience at any age, and it is about much more than sex. It can affect the way we see ourselves and sometimes affects the way we are seen by others. Our society often ignores issues of sexuality and relationships in regard to people with disabilities, but your medical home can provide youth and their families with useful information and support in this area. This page is meant to help families identify their concerns and questions and encourage them to ask questions during visits to their primary care doctor.
What are healthy relationships?
The term “healthy relationships” covers a wide range of topics. Younger children can be helped by learning about appropriate behaviors and personal safety. Adolescents may need to learn about their developing bodies, and may wonder if they can have children someday. Young adults may need information about how their specific diagnosis and medications might affect fertility or contraceptive choices.
As parents, it is of great value to introduce age-appropriate information and terms to children. In some schools, children are taught about sexual maturity and adolescent development, but this education is not always offered. Parents can ask about what type of teaching and information is being offered at their child's school and decide if they can reinforce or add to these lessons. Parents whose children have specific behavioral issues or impulse control challenges may need to seek social skills training and other healthy relationship training at earlier ages to help their children understand how to act appropriately and safely in social situations.
Sexuality
- Good hygiene and regular health maintenance
- Independent or assisted management of bowel and bladder
- Menstruation, fertility, and birth control
- Sex activities and protection from sexual diseases
- Sex abuse and/or exploitation
- How a certain disability may affect sexuality throughout one’s lifespan
Specific Diagnoses
Understanding your unique body is part of understanding sexuality, and some diagnoses may affect how your body works or how you perceive your own sexuality. Medical home doctors can help youth with specific diagnoses to understand how that may affect how they view their sexuality, and how their body functions. To read more about specific disabilities and sexuality, see the links below.
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