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Disability or illness can potentially impact any aspect of a person’s sexuality. If you have a disability, you still have equal rights to a full sexual relationship and you should have just the same access to sex and relationships education, contraception and sexual health care as any other person.
Disabled people have the right from a human rights perspective to express their sexuality and access sexual health services.
However a lack of privacy in your daily life, cultural prejudice, professional, parental and societal attitudes and lack of opportunity can often make accessing sexual health services and having sexual relationships more difficult.
If you find it difficult to discuss sex this factsheet may help you in your search for information and support.
The Outsiders Club welcomes people with physical and social disabilities to join their club, make new friends and, if they wish, find partners. The Club also welcomes health care professionals who want to include the topics of loneliness, sex and relationships in discussions with their clients but feel alone and unsupported in doing so through the Sexual Health and Disability Alliance at www.shada.org.uk
Outsiders run the Sex and Disability Helpline from 11am – 7pm weekdays on 0707 499 3527, email sexdis@Outsiders.org.uk . Calls are taken from both disabled people and health care professionals. Whenever possible, Outsiders works together with other groups to address the isolation faced by many disabled people, and to campaign for the acceptance of disabled people as sexual partners. Also has information for lesbians, gays and bisexuals
Outsiders have created a Sexual Respect Tool Kit to help GPs and other health professionals initiate discussions on sex, relationships and loneliness with disabled people. They have also challenged councils to give more consideration to the sexual needs of disabled people.
4S Leroy House,
435 Essex Road,
London N1 3QP.
Please send a stamped
addressed envelope to this address for more information
20 7354 8291
Email info@outsiders.org.uk.
The Sexual Health Network is dedicated to providing easy access to sexuality information, education and mutual support
Disability specific pages are :-
http://www.sexualhealth.com/channel/view/disability-illness/
Arthritis Care
Relationships, intimacy and arthritis
This booklet deals with issues surrounding relationships, sexuality and arthritis.
Coping with emotions
Explores the feelings and emotions most often felt by people with arthritis and their loved ones.
The above documents are available to download as PDFs by following this link
Ask Brook provides a sexual health information, support and signposting for all young people under 25 anywhere in the UK. Ask Brook cannot provide individual medical advice but we do provide a personal reply with information to help you. To find your nearest Brook Centre, please click here.
Ask Brook offers a confidential telephone, online enquiry service and interactive text message service:
Brook Helpline 0808 802 1234 - free from all telephones including mobile phones
Text Ask Brook on 07717 989 023 (standard SMS rates apply)
Or send a secure online message - please click here.
Ask Brook is open Monday – Friday from 9am – 7pm (closed on Thursdays between 2pm – 3.30pm for staff meetings).
Specific pages on Sex and Disability can be found at
Change
A new report on the sex and relationships needs of people with learning disabilities has been launched by Change, a national equal rights organisation led by disabled people. You can contact Change by phone on ( 0113 ) 3880011 or by e mailing info@change-people.co.uk and download the report by clicking on the link above.
Relate South Yorkshire:
Relate is a non profit making organisation and all money they receive is used to offer help to their clients. Relate is working to promote health, respect and justice in couple and family relationships. Relate provides counselling services for individuals, couples (including same sex), families and young people experiencing
relationship difficulties. Sex Therapy is also available.. You will normally be expected to pay a fee. Relate Centres are charities and don't aim to make a profit from the services they provide, the fee is to cover the cost of sessions. Some Relate Centres offer subsidised counselling sessions.
Premier House
Carolina Court
Lakeside
Doncaster
DN4 5RA
(0300) 100 1234
Email: relatesouthyorkshire@relate.org.uk
http://www.relate.org.uk
Sheffield Centre for HIV and Sexual Health
Centre for HIV and Sexual Health
Central Health Clinic
1 Mulberry Street
Sheffield
S1 2PJ (0114) 305 4444
Email: sheffield.chiv@nhs.net
http://www.sexualhealthsheffield.nhs.uk
You can find a Sexual Health Service in Sheffield or nationally by following this link
The Site.Org Your Guide to the Real World
Information on Dating and Disability and Disability and Sexual Confidence for Young People,
The Spinal Injuries Association has a welfare counselling service which provide counselling and advice to help solve problems, including personal and sexual ones, and put people in touch with one another. The SIA produces a range of publications about sexual issues and a newsletter in which readers discuss matters regularly and fully.
SIA House
2 Trueman Place
Oldbrook
Milton Keynes
MK6 2HH
Freephone Advice Line: 08009800501 (Weekdays from 9:30am to 1pm and 2pm to 4:30pm)
Useful Websites
www.sheffieldsexualhealth.co.uk - information about sexual health and local services – all in one place.
www.efc.org.uk – information about unplanned pregnancy
www.fpa.org.uk – sexual health and relationships information, also has range of promotional materials
www.nhs.uk/sexualhealthprofessional/Pages/index.aspx - Website for teenage pregnancy and sexual health professionals
http://www.chlamydiascreening.nhs.uk/ps/index.html - national Chlamydia programme
www.tht.org.uk/ - HIV and sexual health information
http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/youth - Sheffield City Council Integrated Youth support
www.avert.org - HIV/AIDS information
www.bbc.co.uk/relationships - Covering various topics including couples, sex, improving your confidence, coping with grief and domestic violence
www.brook.org.uk - STI, contraception and pregnancy help
www.talkchoice.co.uk – contraception information
www.nhs.uk/worthtalkingabout/Pages/sex-worth-talking-about.aspx - Part of NHS Choices initiative including contraception, chlamydia testing, teen talk, talking about sex and STIs
www.shoutloud.org.uk - SHout loud (Sexual Health out loud) is designed to get everyone more involved with improving sexual health in the community. It provides detailed local information including contact details for decision-makers in your area and current sexual health priorities. As well as the latest news updates and useful documents published by leading sexual health, HIV and contraception organisations, there is the opportunity for you to become directly involved with local sexual health campaigns.
What do you think of this factsheet?
If you would like to comment on this factsheet or provide additional information from your own experience please let us know and we would be happy to consider adding to or amending the factsheet. We would welcome any comments to help us improve our service. Our contact details are:-
Sheffield CIL Disability Information Service
Sheffield Centre for Independent Living
Floor 3
The Circle
Rockingham Lane
Sheffield S1 4FW
0114 253 6745 Mon - Wed 10am to 3pm (ansaphone facility available at other times )
Email info@inclusivesheffield.org.uk
www.sheffieldcil.org.uk
Disclaimer
No recommendation is given or implied by providing these details. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy we cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. Please note that the inclusion of groups or individuals on the factsheet does not mean that they have been vetted or are recommended by Pacesetters Information and Signposting Service or Inclusive Living Sheffield. Details may change so it is important you check the information provided to make sure they are accurate and suitable for your own requirements