Sexually transmitted infections, sexuality, and disability: Data from national surveys

The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior identified sexual abuse and sexually transmitted infections as important public health problems. It noted that “There are also persons who are challenged with developmental, physical or mental disabilities whose sexuality and sexual needs have often been ignored, or at worst, exploited and abused (p. 6).”

Despite the connection between disability and sexuality, there are no reliable national statistics on the sexual health of persons with disabilities. Studies of clinical populations and convenience samples show differences in sexual health between persons with and without disabilities, but the findings are not generalizable due to shortcomings in study designs.

We use national survey data to test these hypotheses: persons with disabilities are more likely than persons without disabilities to--experience sexual abuse; have sex with many partners; contract sexually transmitted infections; and experience "nonheteronormative" sexuality.

We use the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics, which gathered information on 12,500 men and women of reproductive age, and included questions on disability and sexuality. Preliminary analyses show significant differences in the sexuality of persons with and without disability. We are expanding these analyses and replicating them with data from the National Health Interview Survey, the National Health and Nutrition Examinations Survey, and the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System. Our presentation is a progress report on our analyses, with an emphasis on differentials in the prevalence of sexually transmitted infections.