Disabled ’need sex counselling’

Press, 28 August 1978, Page 6

Disabled ’need sex counselling’

A call to remove the | secrecy, ignorance, and prudery surrounding sex and the’ physically disabled was •made in Christchurch yesterday at the national conference of the Paraplegic and ' Physically Disabled Federaj tion. In his opening address and during subsequent sessions of ■ the conference, the chairman of the federation. Dr IN. R. Jefferson, of InvercarI gill, emphasised an urgent ; need for extended counseli ling on sex for the physically I disabled and their partners. The attitude towards human sexuality in New Zealand society as far as ablebodied people was concerned i was bad enough, but the attitude towards sexuality

5 and physically disabled - people was "almost Vici torian,” Dr Jefferson said. 5 “Whether we like it or not • we are all obliged to face • up to the fact that society 1 as a whole tends to be very • negative concerning the subject. and most people are 1 usually repressive, and even f openly hostile to the idea. - Most of this attitude is a rer | suit of ignorance,” Dr Jeffer- ■ son said. I Disabled people must move • into the open and defend 1 their rights as human beings • with normal sexual appetites, > he said. “We must continue re- ■ search on functioning sexual I mechanisms in the physically ' disabled, on the psycho- ’ logical problems involved,

and continue to extend personal counselling for the physically disabled," he said. The physicaly disabled had the right to be given accurate information about sex and physical disability, the right to sexual expression, the right to marry and the right to have children as long as this did not clash with the right of any resulting child to be healthy. They must also have the right to services such as family- counselling, ; contraceptive advice and genetic counselling.