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Photo credited to Disabled and Here.

Kathryn collaborated with Dr. Jess Gagui again for this week's blog as a follow up to their last blog focused on the historical context of hypersexualization and fetishization of BIPOC women and femmes.  Be sure to give that a read if you haven't already.  This week focuses on intervention strategies you can use when working with folks who voice experiences of hypersexualization, fetishization, asexualization, and body criticism for not fitting the standard of beauty: for example, white, thin, able bodied.  While last week's blog centered BIPOC women and femmes, we think you’ll find these intervention strategies helpful for many other populations you work with. 

Clients’ experiences related to identity and culture aren’t off limits to clinicians:

Clinicians can, rightfully so, feel cautions to challenge what clients admit as cultural messages.  For example, "I grew up in a Catholic home and...

When it comes to discussing sexuality with our clients, occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) and other healthcare providers can come up with all sorts of justifications not to. But here's the thing: most of these justifications have more to do with our own biases than with the clients themselves. It's time to challenge those biases and ask ourselves, "Why am I avoiding this conversation?"

Here are some common biases that hold us back from addressing sex:

"They have so many other things to worry about right now. Sex is probably the last thing on their mind." 

Look, we can't read minds. We have no idea what our clients are thinking unless we ask them. Just because they don't bring it up doesn't mean they don't have concerns. By initiating the conversation early on, we create a safe space for them to discuss their sexual well-being whenever they're ready.

"I don't want to offend them based on their background or beliefs." 

I've heard it all: "They're conservative,"...

As Sexuality and Intimacy Trailblazers, we know that sexuality and intimacy are important parts of our lives, bringing us joy and enhancing our overall well-being. However, when someone experiences a spinal cord injury (SCI), these aspects can be profoundly affected. Today, we'll discuss when to address these topics, the impacts of SCI on sexual health, specific complications that can arise, and the role of occupational therapy in supporting individuals on this journey.

When to Address Sex and Intimacy:

So, the big question is: when should we start talking about sex and intimacy with SCI patients? 

The answer? at every point in their occupational therapy (OT) engagement! 

It's not about when exactly, but more about what to focus on depending on where the individual is in their injury timeline. In the inpatient setting, when people have recently experienced acute trauma, they may benefit from SCI sexuality education. On the other hand, those receiving outpatient care have...

Something OT practitioners need to keep in mind as we (humbly) approach the topic of sex with clients is how people can have sex in countlessly different ways –many that may be unfamiliar to us, and some of ways that may even be considered…

Kinky.

Kink is a broad term that describes aspects of sexuality that fall outside of the mainstream ideas of sexuality. In more detail, The Kink Clinical Practice Guidelines Project defines kink as “…sexual identities, erotic behaviors, sexual interests and fantasies, relationship identities, relationship orientations, and relationship structures between consenting adults not accepted by the dominant culture. We specifically include BDSM (Bondage/Discipline,  Dominance/Submission, Sadism/Masochism), Leather, and Fetish as important parts of the umbrella term of kink” (p. 4). 

 The Kink Clinical Practice Guidelines Project is composed of a multidisciplinary team of healthcare providers, therapists,...

I have often thought about the lack of discussion around pleasure and conversely the prioritization of discussing sexual risk and pathology in sexual dialogues – to include academic dialogues, professional dialogues, and even familial or personal dialogues.   

Dr. Jones (2019) reviewed 300 articles from the Journal of Sex Research that were published between 2010-2015 and found disease and pathology were the main focuses of the articles. 

The articles had little discussion of the role pleasure plays in both enhancing quality of life and motivating high-risk behaviors. 

The researcher also highlighted the heteronormativity and lack of inclusivity pervasive in the articles.  They used a feminist and queer lens to challenge White Supremacy and heteronormative ideology pervasive in the articles which investigates very few social factors related to sex and sexuality.

For example, among many, the researcher found most of the articles related...