PERSPECTIVES - Digital Influences on Sexual Discourse in Disabled Populations

The industry of sex aids for disabled people has been growing and becoming more nuanced, both with workers who facilitate manual sex aid and within the growing market of automated sex aids. Agency in sexual expression is often seen as an able-bodied activity and automated sex aids have yet to be considered with due rigor for general populations, including disabled populations. Here, we employ the grounded methodological choice of using digitally mediated discourses by disabled people, service providers, and activists to guide our inquiry into conversations that we, as members of the scientific community have generally neglected. We report on the financial, legal, and health implications of emerging digital technology driven changes in the landscape of sexual discourse for disabled populations. We then call for further investigation into this neglected but vitally important topic.Keywords: Automated sex aids; sexuality and disability; digital activism; sexual agency; sexual health; scientific researc