Teachers' views on sexuality education for children with disabilities

Abstract

Do we need to teach sexuality education to children with disabilities, and who should be responsible for teaching programmes related to HIV/AIDS to these learners' Julia Louw raises these important questions in investigating how teachers and childcare providers feel about teaching sexuality and HIV/AIDS programmes to their learners with disabilities. The aim of the study was to examine teachers' and childcare providers' views and perceptions of teaching sexuality and HIV/AIDS programmes to learners with disabilities in special needs schools (SNS). Providing children and young people with sexuality education is imperative. However, providing sexuality education to children and young people with disability has turned out to be a priority of low importance. This is mainly due to the misconception that people with disabilities are not sexually active or are asexual. Behavioural risk factors for HIV among people with disabilities are the same as those for the general population. Limited access to such information places this highly vulnerable and marginalised group at an increased risk of HIV infection, as behavioural risk factors for HIV associated with sexual activity among people with disabilities are the same as those for the general population.