Homosexuality among people with a mild intellectual disability: an explorative study on the lived experiences of homosexual people in the Netherlands with a mild intellectual disability

• Published in: Journal of intellectual disability research Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 257 - 267
• Main Authors: Stoffelen, J., Kok, G., Hospers, H., Curfs, L. M. G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-03-2013; Wiley-Blackwell; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Adults; Biological and medical sciences; Child clinical studies; Developmental disorders; Experience; Female; Foreign Countries; Gays & lesbians; homosexual; Homosexuality; Homosexuality, Female - psychology; Homosexuality, Male - psychology; Homosexuals; Humans; Incidence; Intellectual deficiency; Intellectual disabilities; Intellectual Disability; Intellectual Disability - psychology; Interviews; Interviews as Topic; Learning disabilities; learning disability; Learning disabled people; Learning disorders; Learning Disorders - psychology; Lesbians; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mild Intellectual Disability; Mild Mental Retardation; Needs; Netherlands; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Qualitative Research; Quality of life; Semi Structured Interviews; Severity of Illness Index; Sex Education; Sexual Abuse; Sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior - psychology; sexual behaviour; Sexual Identity; Sexuality; Social Bias; Social Support; Stereotyping; stigma; support needs; Violence; Young Adult; Netherlands; Europe; Handicap; Human; Homosexuality; Stigma; Subjective experience; Sexual behavior; sexual behaviour; Developmental disorder; Mental retardation; Learning disability; support needs; Intellectual deficiency; homosexual; intellectual disability
• ISSN: 0964-2633; 1365-2788
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2011.01532.x

Background  Empirical research on homosexuality among people with an intellectual disability (ID) is limited and, to date, very little is known regarding the personal experiences of gay and lesbian people with an ID. This study set out to answer the question: What are the lived experiences of a specific cohort of homosexual people with an intellectual disability living in the Netherlands?
Method  To answer this question, a qualitative study was performed in which 21 people with a mild ID were interviewed via semi‐structured interviews. In this study, 19 participants were men and two were women (average age = 40.5 years).
Results  Participants reported positive and negative experiences, and talked about their gay or lesbian identity. Almost half of the participants (n = 10) reported that they had experienced sexual abuse including partner violence (n = 6). Additionally, they indicated that there was a lack of support for homosexual people with an ID.
Conclusion  Specific problems impact the lives of homosexual people with ID, namely the high prevalence of negative sexual experiences, the lack of support, training and sex education, and their search for a suitable partner.