Sexual disorders, developmental disorders, developmental delay, and co-morbid conditions

Adequate attention to the sexual needs and problems of people with developmental disabilities has emerged as one of the major unmet challenges in our field. Sexual disorders can be divided into problems involving physically engaging in sexual activities (sexual dysfunctions) and problems involving unconventional sexual interests (paraphilias). The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of how concurrent or co-morbid medical and psychiatric conditions can interact with developmental disabilities to produce unique perils and opportunities for the humane and successful treatment of people with increased vulnerabilities.