The Right to Pleasure of People with Spinal Cord Injury and Their Partners.

Psychiatr Danub

Department of Philosophy, Social & Human Sciences and Education, University of Perugia, Piazza G. Ermini 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy,

Published: December 2021

People with spinal cord injury (SCI) must battle cultural and personal attitudes and stereotypes that reduce sexuality to genitalia's physiological functions. These psychological and social restrictions stem from cultural and models of disability that emphasize phallocentric primacy and the sexual appeal of beautiful bodies when it comes to sexual pleasure. In this paper, we look at the attitudes and stereotypes, conveyed by the medical model of disability, which are based on two widespread and interconnected beliefs (myths): bodily perfection and asexuality. The medical model is based on the normalization of sexual gender roles by male-centered patriarchal culture, which is characterized by unequal relationships between men and women according to the sex most people get to know as totally phallocentric (penis-centered). Finally, we observe the effects of a psychoeducational intervention (Love & Life Project) in a personal growth group on the sexual lives of two groups of people with SCI and their partners in terms of sexual interest and satisfaction, depression, and anxiety. The intervention dramatically increased the possibility and ability of the partner and patient groups to enjoy sexuality, allowing them to experience that "No injury, no matter how serious, can take away your ability to have a relationship, experience love, and experience the attraction between two people."

Download full-text PDF

Source

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

people spinal
8
spinal cord
8
cord injury
8
attitudes stereotypes
8
medical model
8
sexual
5
pleasure people
4
injury partners
4
partners people
4
injury sci
4

Similar Publications

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!