PARENT SESSION

Room 517-D

Disability and Sexual Assistance (French) Wednesday, July 13, 2005 Time: 2:30 PM-3:30 PM

Direct Sexual Assistance A Taboo to Overcome. Risking Desire or Risky Desire.

Agthe Diserens, Catherine^*,1, ¹ Sexologist Consultant for People with Disabilities, Nyon, Vaud, Switzerland

ABSTRACT- It is no longer a time of negating the sexual drive or desires of people living with a disability, nor is it time to exacerbate it. The numerous contacts of a handicapped persons daily life, have been stretched to take position and imagine new solutions, thanks to social integration, the recent sexual revolution, the power of the media, respect of basic human rights and particularly because of the claims of the people who are directly concerned who make known their emotional and sexual needs. One area remains very sensitive: Lack of opportunity to satisfy the needs and desires for a better quality of life that takes into account sensuality and genitality. This factor, delicate and still very taboo, voiced only discretely for the past few years is starting to emerge from the shadows to enable us to talk about providing . This subject is certainly very complex, because it deals with a person who will become intimately involved with the disabled person but without being in love with this person. It would be a new profession, halfway between prostitution at one end of the spectrum and caregiver at the other. But we are talking about . The sexual assistant answers to specific needs by varied sensual and sexual ways, he or she gets a specific training in these sensitive areas, to have a good knowledge of the different handicaps, different laws, also ethical and moral issues surrounding this area, as well as corporal approaches, erotic massages, tantric and sexology. Direct sexual assistance is one response amid many others in the realm of sexuality. This particular approach taps in to the qualities of humanism and creativity of the support team (educators, parents, and therapists) surrounding the disabled person. We cannot innovate without taking risks. But, who that does not take risks, does not experience pleasure!

Key words: Taboo, Disabilities, Pleasure, Eroticism, sexual-assistance