The myth of asexuality? Disability stigma as a barrier to sexual relationships in South Africa Literature review

Sexuality has often been a site of oppression and discrimination for persons with disabilities. This has taken many forms, including the sexual behaviours of some persons with disabilities being seen as problematic, or even pathological, or persons with disabilities being regarded as incapable of procreating. This has been a particular experience for persons with physical disabilities. One of the most frequent forms of oppression is the exclusion of persons with physical disabilities from being able to lead fully sexual lives, including accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare. Although sexual health has increasingly been seen as a human right (World Health Organisation, 2006), personal accounts and research have indicated that persons with physical disabilities are often excluded. One of the drivers of this exclusion is the prevailing myth that persons with physical disabilities are asexual. This results in society viewing persons with physical disabilities as unsuitable partners, or not in need of sexual health education or care. There has been an increased international attention given to the sexual health rights of persons with disabilities (e.g. the World report on Disability, WHO, 2011), and there has been a call for increased research in this area. In the southern African context, this has partly been raised in relation to the potential risk for HIV infection. HIV and AIDS are also very much linked to sexual reproductive health rights for women with disabilities in particular. Few published studies have focused on the sexual and reproductive health concerns of persons with physical disabilities in South Africa. The few studies that are published on persons with disabilities generally suggests that they receive limited education and care on matters of sexual and reproductive health, and may experience sexual violence and rape, partly due to intersecting misconceptions about disability, sexuality and gender. There has been no recent review of the prevalence of the myth of asexuality for persons with disabilities since Milligan and Neufeldt (2001) and Di Giulio (2003), and no review specific to South Africa. In order to inform and support a study aiming to challenge these myths a review of the relevant literature about persons with physical disabilities was conducted and is presented here. The review looked at published and grey literature in South Africa specifically as well as the rest of the world, looking at this from the perspective of societal attitudes towards persons with physical disabilities, and access to sexual and reproductive health services