The national study entitled, Friendships and Taboos -Research on Sexual Health Promotion for People with Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disabilities in the 18 – 25 Age Range was commissioned by HSE South Health Promotion.

The research findings will be formally presented at the Sexual Rights and Intellectual Disability Conference; which is endorsed by the Irish Sex Education Network and supported by Irish and International experts, on September, 8th, in Dublin.

Ireland’s top intellectual disability experts were consulted as part of the study to create a comprehensive overview on young Irish people with a mild to moderate intellectual disability concerning relationships and sexuality.

Work to-date has shown that people with intellectual disability have the same desires and dreams as the general population and are as diverse in their sexuality and requirements as are the general population.

The findings highlight the need to develop:

-     National policy and to ensure that National Agencies are aware of their responsibilities in relation to implementing policy and ensuring the provision of relationship and sexuality education in care settings.

• Guidance and tools to create positive rights-based policies within organisations.
• Training programmes for staff working in care settings to ensure that they are comfortable and equipped to provide education on both relationships and sexuality.
• Training programmes for service users to be delivered within or outside of care settings.
• Programmes to ensure that staff working within specific sexual health services are aware of the needs of people with an intellectual disability.
• An evaluation framework to ensure that work in this area can be evaluated appropriately and that learning can be shared with other organisations.
• Further research around many of the issues identified within the available literature as requiring further exploration.
• Key training resources to support those agencies already offering training within the disability sector and making those resources available to others who have a strong policy in Relationship and Sexuality Education training.

The research will guide the development of appropriate training programmes around the issues of sexual health for young people with an intellectual disability. The HSE will seek to engage with key stakeholders in the disability sector and experts in the field to develop “a best practice approach” in working with service providers.

Catherine Murphy, HSE Assistant National Director of Population Health, Health Promotion, welcomed the research and said, “By providing a national and international overview on sexual health promotion for people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities in the 18-25 age range, we will ensure that the sexual health rights of those with an intellectual disability are kept firmly on the agenda.”
 
In recent times there has been a shift towards acknowledging issues pertaining to relationships and sexuality of young persons with a mild to moderate intellectual disability.  This has led to a number of policy documents and legislative reviews been undertaken.

In 2007, the Irish Government accepted the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; this is awaiting ratification in 2009

The CSO National Disability Survey (2006) found that 9.3% of the population or 393,800 persons reported a disability. Overall 48% were male and 52% female.  Persons living in a nursing home, hospital or children’s home accounted for 8% of this population group.

The HSE looks forward to working with partners in the statutory and voluntary sectors to promote the health of those with intellectual disability.

The research friendships and taboos is available to download here. To request a copy of the report please contact the Health Promotion Department HSE South, Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, Western Road Cork. Tel: 021 4921641 Email: hpd@hse.ie

A better understanding of needs
The research looked to provide certain outcomes, each of which would contribute to a better understanding of needs in the area:

• A literature review and review of national and international best practice in terms of sexual health promotion and intellectual disability.
• A national review of disability services focusing on the current provision of sexual health promotion with service users.
• A needs assessment – focusing on staff, service users and parents / care givers.

Key objectives of the research were:

• To produce a research document that outlines current national and international promising practice in sexual health promotion for people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.
• To clearly establish the types of work (if any) currently being carried out by the disability organisations in relation to the sexual health promotion of people with mild to moderate intellectual disabilities.
• To devise and produce a needs assessment that clearly outlines the supports, training and information required by service users, staff, parents and carers when addressing the issues of sexual health and intellectual disability.