Norwegian Health Professionals’ Attitudes Toward Addressing Sexual Health with People with Intellectual Disabilities

Abstract

Introduction: Staff working with individuals with intellectual disabilities face challenges addressing sexual health. Professionals in this context have diverse backgrounds and education, and little is known about their attitudes and skills in providing support for a healthy sexual life and preventing abuse. Moreover, this topic has not been explored in the Norwegian context. The current study examined health professionals’ attitudes toward addressing sexual health with individuals with intellectual disabilities in Norwegian municipal health and care services.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Norwegian version of the professionals’ attitudes toward addressing sexual health among 72 health professionals working in municipal services for people with intellectual disabilities in Mid-Norway. The data was collected from November 2022 to January 2023.

Results: The professionals reported feeling partially comfortable and prepared to address sexual health issues with clients. They consistently expressed a need for more basic knowledge about sexual health and training in communicating about sexuality. Attitudes toward addressing sexual health varied based on the professionals’ education, gender, age, and work experience.

Conclusions: More targeted training on sexual health is needed within the educational programmes in health and social sciences. Sexual health should also be continuously addressed in the workplace and among colleagues. The differences in attitudes between professionals indicate that the composition of the staff benefits from diversity.

Policy Implications: Healthcare managers are responsible for ensuring greater openness and reflection on attitudes toward sexuality among individuals with intellectual disabilities in workplaces. Educational institutions must provide the necessary skill development and training in communication about sexual health for this client group.