Abstract
This study investigated the association between the severity and duration of physical disability and sexual esteem, sexual depression, sexual satisfaction, and the frequency of sexual behavior. A total of 1,196 participants completed the study. There were 748 participants (367 males, 381 females) who had a physical disability and 448 participants (171 males, 277 females) who were able-bodied. The age range of participants was 18–69 years, with a mean age of 36.39 years (SD = 10.41). The results demonstrated that people with more severe physical impairments experienced significantly lower levels of sexual esteem and sexual satisfaction and significantly higher levels of sexual depression than people who had mild impairments or who did not report having a physical impairment. The study also found that people with more severe physical disabilities engaged in mutual sexual activity significantly less frequently. Women with physical disabilities had significantly more positive feelings about their sexuality and significantly more frequent mutual sexual experiences than their male counterparts. For people with physical disabilities, the frequency of oral sex and nude cuddling were significant predictors of sexual satisfaction in men, while the frequency of deep kissing predicted sexual satisfaction in women. Furthermore, the viewing of erotica was significantly related to sexual dissatisfaction in men. Finally, it was found that people who had experienced their physical impairment for a longer period of time reported significantly more positive feelings about their sexuality. Implications of these findings are discussed and suggestions are made for future research.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Alexander, C., Sipski, M., & Findley, T. (1993). Sexual activities, desire, and satisfaction in males pre-and post-spinal cord injury. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 22, 217–228.
Bach, J., & Bardach, J. (1997). Neuromuscular disease. In M. L. Sipski & C. J. Alexander (Eds.), Sexual function in people with disability and chronic illness: A health professional's guide (pp. 247–258). Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen.
Chenoweth, L. (1993). Invisible acts: Violence against women with disabilities. Australian Disability Review, 2,22–28.
Crabtree, L. (1997). Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: Sex, sexuality, and self-esteem. Sexuality and Disability, 15, 293–311.
Daniels, S. M. (1978). Correlates of attitudes toward the sexuality of the disabled person in selected health professionals. Sexuality and Disability, 1, 112–126.
Donelson, E. (1998). The relationship of sexual self-concept to the level of spinal cord injury and other factors. Dissertation Abstracts International Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 58, 6805.
Drench, M. (1992). Impact of altered sexuality and sexual function in spinal cord injury: A review. Sexuality and Disability, 10, 3–14.
Earle, S. (1999). Facilitated sex and the concept of sexual need: Disabled students and their personal assistants. Disability and Society, 14, 309–323.
Erikson, D., & Erikson, L. (1992). Knowledge of sexuality in adolescents with Spina Bifida. Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 1, 195–199.
Gill, C. (1996). Dating and relationship issues. Sexuality and Disability, 14, 183–190.
Knight, S. E. (1983). Sexual concerns of the physically disabled. In B. Heller, L. Flohr, & L. Zegans (Eds.), Psychosocial interventions with physically disabled persons: Mind and medicine (pp. 183–199). New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
MacDougall, J., & Morin, S. (1979). Sexual attitudes and self-reported behavior of congenitally disabled adults. Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, 11, 189–204.
McCabe, M. P., Cummins, R., & Deeks, A. (2000). Sexuality and quality of life among people with physical disability. Sexuality and Disability, 18, 123–131.
McCabe, M. P., McDonald, E., Deeks, A., Vowels, L., & Cobain, M. (1996). The impact of multiple sclerosis on sexuality and relationships. Journal of Sex Research, 33, 241–248.
Mona, L., Gardos, P., & Brown, R. (1994). Sexual self-views of women with disabilities: The relationship among age-of-onset, nature of disability and sexual self-esteem. Sexuality and Disability, 12, 261–277.
Nosek, M., Rintala, D., Young, M., Howland, C., Foley, C., Rossi, D., et al. (1996). Sexual functioning among women with physical disabilities. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 77, 107–115.
Page, R. C., Cheng, H. P., Pate, T. C., Mathus, B., Pryor, D., & Ko, J. C. (1987). The perceptions of spinal cord injured persons toward sex. Sexuality and Disability, 8, 112–132.
Rintala, D. H., Howland, C. A., Nosek, M. A., Bennett, J. L., Young, M. E., Foley, C. C., et al. (1997). Dating issues for women with physical disabilities. Sexuality and Disability, 15, 219–242.
Rivas, D., & Chancellor, M. (1997). Management of erectile dysfunction. In M. L. Sipski & C. J. Alexander (Eds.), Sexual function in people with disability and chronic illness: A health professional's guide (pp. 429–464). Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen.
Romeo, A. J., Wanlass, R., & Arenas, S. (1993). A profile of psychosexual functioning in males following spinal cord injury. Sexuality and Disability, 11, 269–276.
Saad, S. C. (1997). Disability and the lesbian, gay man, or bisexual individual. In M. L. Sipski & C. J. Alexander (Eds.), Sexual function in people with disability and chronic illness: A health professional's guide (pp. 413–424). Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen.
Silvers, B. (1997). Sexuality, early-onset physical disability, and sense of coherence. Dissertation Abstracts International Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 57, 7743.
Sipski, M. (1991). Spinal cord injury: What is the effect on sexual response? Journal of American Paraplegia Society, 14, 40–43.
Smith, P., Hamilton, B., & Granger, V. (1990). Adult sexual behaviors in 1989: Number of partners, frequency, and risk. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Association of the Advancement of Science, New Orleans.
Snell, W. E. (1998). The Multidimensional Sexual Self-Concept Questionnaire. In C. M. Davis, W. L. Yarber, R. Bauserman, G. Schreer, & S. L. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of sexuality-related measures (pp. 521–524). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Snell, W., & Papini, D. (1989). The Sexuality Scale: An instrument to measure sexual-esteem, sexual-depression, and sexual-preoccupation. Journal of Sex Research, 26, 256–263.
Taleporos, G. (2001). Sexuality and physical disability. In C. Wood (Ed.), Sexual positions: An Australian view (pp. 155–166). Melbourne, Australia: Hill of Content Publishing.
Taleporos, G., & McCabe, M. P. (2001). Physical disability and sexual esteem. Sexuality and Disability, 19, 131–148.
Taleporos, G., & McCabe, M. P. (2002a). Body image and physical disability: Personal perspectives. Social Science and Medicine, 54, 971–980.
Taleporos, G., & McCabe, M. P. (2002b). Development of the Physical Disability Sexual and Body Esteem Scale. Sexuality and Disability, 20, 159–183.
Teal, J. C., & Athelstan, G. T. (1975). Sexuality and spinal cord injury: Some psychosocial considerations. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 56, 264–268.
Tepper, M. S. (1997). Living with a disability: A man's perspective. In M. L. Sipski & C. J. Alexander (Eds.), Sexual function in people with disability and chronic illness: A health professional's guide (pp. 131–141). Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen.
Tepper, M. (1999). Letting go of restrictive notions of manhood: Male sexuality, disability and chronic illness. Sexuality and Disability, 17, 37–52.
Tilley, C. M. (1996). Sexuality in women with physical disabilities: A social justice or health issue? Sexuality and Disability, 14, 139–151.
White, M. J., Rintala, D. H., Hart, K. A., & Fuhrer, M. J. (1993). Sexual activities, concerns and interests of women with spinal cord injury living in the community. American Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 72, 372–378.
Wiederman, M., & Allgeier, E. (1993). The measurement of sexual-esteem: Investigation of Snell and Papini's (1989) Sexuality Scale. Journal of Research in Personality, 27, 88–102.
World Health Organization. (2001). ICF: International classification offunctioning and disability. Geneva: Author.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
McCabe, M.P., Taleporos, G. Sexual Esteem, Sexual Satisfaction, and Sexual Behavior Among People with Physical Disability. Arch Sex Behav 32, 359–369 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024047100251
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024047100251