Research shows that most adolescents lack the knowledge required to make sexual and reproductive health decisions responsibly, leaving them vulnerable to coercion, sexually transmitted infections or unintended pregnancy. Sexuality education equips them to not only avoid negative health issues, but also to enjoy positive and healthy sexual and social relationships.
In these regards, most parents want to be the primary educators of their children’s sexuality, but they generally find very difficult discussing this topic with them, with special remarks on children with disabilities. Parents of persons with disabilities therefore need communication strategies and tactics to initiate, maintain and influence their child during informal education.
Our project, “Parents United” aims to promote cooperation and exchange of experiences and good practices in the field of social inclusion and sexuality education for parents of persons with disabilities (PWD). The realisation of this project is based on the broader objective of strengthening the right to information through the creation of personal training and relational contexts where it is possible to share experiences with an added value, because sexuality education is a right to everyone. The project’s goal is to include such a parent trained in the emotional and sexual care of their children with disabilities while experimenting with non-formal and informal learning.
Project results:
- Sexuality education courses for parents with disabled children.
- Question and answer material for parents to help them provide accurate, rights-based information to their children.
- Sexuality education sessions for families to encourage intergenerational dialogue.
- Accompanied/community activities with parents.