The birds and the bees

Sexuality and people with learning disabilities is a controversial subject. Research suggests that, although paid carers are starting to acknowledge the importance of relationships, attitudes may be more conservative among family carers and the general public. This quantitative study looked at the attitudes of each of these groups. The researchers also considered whether knowing someone with a learning disability has an impact on the views of the general public and if there were difference in attitudes towards homosexuality among the three groups. The views of 144 people from a range of religions and backgrounds were collected using the Sexuality Attitudes Questionnaire for people with Intellectual Disability (SAQ-ID). The majority of respondents were between 18 and 39 years and 68.8% were female; they were mainly recruited from care facilities and a carers’ group. A limitation of the study was the small number of family carers who chose to take part and suggestions were made for improvements to the [...]