The Sexual Health Needs and Perspectives of College Students with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities and Their Support Staff: A Brief Report

The purpose of this mixed methods pilot study was to examine the sexual health needs, knowledge, and access to resources for students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) and their support staff in an inclusive postsecondary education (IPSE) program. Four college students with IDD and sixteen support staff from an IPSE program in the Southeast United States were recruited in 2018. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with students. Online surveys, which contained open-ended and Likert scale items, were administered to all support staff. Students and staff both reported that students had limited sexual health knowledge, were uncomfortable discussing sexual health, and reported little interest in the topic. Both students and staff provided recommendations for creating inclusive sexual health programs and marketing strategies. Students have limited information about sexual health and are not included in sexual health programming in meaningful ways. Staff lack the training needed to address students' sexual health questions. This study also makes a significant contribution to the dearth of literature on the sexual health of college students with IDD.