Very few studies have been done to understand the needs and to develop relevant interventions for promoting the sexual health of young people with disabilities, and none of the interventions identified were designed, co-constructed, or facilitated by young people with disabilities themselves.
Key Findings
Results
Only 21 articles met inclusion criteria for this descriptive review of sexual health needs, recommendations, and interventions for young people with disabilities.
Databases searched were PubMed and PsycINFO for international scientific articles published after 2013.
The 21 articles encompassed 13 sexual health interventions, 6 sexual health need studies, and 2 recommendations studies.
The target population was young people with disabilities aged 10–24.
The small number of included articles highlights a major gap in the literature on this topic.
Results
The majority of studies were conducted in the United States and focused predominantly on intellectual disability.
12 out of 21 studies were carried out in the United States.
6 out of 21 studies focused on intellectual disability, making it the most frequently studied disability type.
This geographic and diagnostic concentration suggests limited generalizability of current evidence.
Results
Parents were a central focus in a substantial proportion of the included studies.
7 out of 21 studies involved parents as participants or key stakeholders.
This emphasis on parents rather than young people themselves reflects a pattern of mediated rather than direct engagement with the target population.
Results
Among the needs studies, the majority focused on difficulties rather than directly exploring the specific needs of young people with disabilities.
Only 2 out of 6 needs studies explored the specific needs of young people with disabilities.
The remaining 4 out of 6 needs studies asked about difficulties rather than needs.
This distinction suggests that research has not consistently centered the perspectives and expressed needs of young people themselves.
Results
None of the identified sexual health interventions were designed, co-constructed, or facilitated by young people with disabilities.
This finding applied across all 13 sexual health interventions identified in the review.
The absence of participatory design is noted as a significant methodological limitation across the field.
The authors recommend participatory research as a valuable methodology, as it involves target audiences in the various stages of research.
Background
Young people with disabilities are often perceived as asexual, lacking sexual desires, or sexually inadequate, leaving their sexual health as a blind spot in health promotion.
Worldwide, almost 180 million young people aged between 10 and 24 live with disability.
These societal perceptions contribute to the neglect of sexual health promotion for this population.
The authors frame this as a public health concern requiring dedicated research and intervention efforts.
Conclusions
The authors conclude that research with rigorous methodologies is still required to better understand needs and develop relevant sexual health interventions for young people with disabilities.
The review found that existing research is sparse and methodologically limited.
Participatory research is specifically recommended as a valuable methodology.
The review was prospectively registered on PROSPERO (CRD42023421365).
Both quantitative and qualitative analytical approaches were used to analyze the extracted data.
What This Means
This research systematically reviewed the scientific literature to understand what is known about the sexual health needs, recommendations, and programs for young people (ages 10–24) with disabilities. Despite nearly 180 million young people worldwide living with a disability, the researchers found only 21 relevant studies published after 2013, most of which were conducted in the United States and focused narrowly on intellectual disability. A large portion of these studies involved parents rather than the young people themselves, and only 2 of the 6 studies that examined 'needs' actually asked young people about what they needed — the rest focused on difficulties.
A particularly striking finding was that none of the 13 sexual health intervention programs identified had been designed, co-created, or led by young people with disabilities themselves. This means that the programs developed so far have not meaningfully included the voices or perspectives of the very people they are meant to help. The review also highlights a broader social issue: young people with disabilities are frequently stereotyped as being asexual or incapable of having sexual desires, which has contributed to their sexual health being largely ignored in public health efforts.
This research suggests there is a significant gap in both knowledge and practice when it comes to supporting the sexual health of young people with disabilities. The authors call for more rigorous research — particularly participatory approaches that actively involve young people with disabilities in designing and conducting studies — to better understand their needs and create programs that are truly relevant and effective for this population.
Vivet N, de La Rochebrochard E, Martin P. (2025). Young people with disabilities and their sexual health: a descriptive review of needs, recommendations and interventions.. BMC public health. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-21927-w