It is time to talk about disability, sex and sexuality | New research by LELO reveals misconceptions about sex and disability

New data by sexual wellness brand LELO reveals misconceptions about sex and disability

• New research from LELO UK reveals that 67% of UK adults are not aware that sex toys can relieve pain or tensions for certain disabilities.
• Almost one in five (19%) non-disabled respondents believe that people with disabilities are less sexual and less interested in intimacy.
• Nearly three fifths (57%) of people with disabilities share the desire to debunk the misconception that people with disabilities are less intimate

The sexual wellness space is booming, and the conversation surrounding sex toys is slowly becoming less and less of a taboo. Not only do sex toys help us experience ultimate pleasure, but they allow us to learn more about the different parts of our bodies. As this conversation develops, sexual wellness brand LELO wants to put focus on how sexual wellness can help relieve pain or tension for people with disabilities.  

LELO conducted a nationwide survey of 1,000 adults*, half of whom have disabilities, and the results found that 67% of people were not aware that intimate toys can relieve pain or tension for certain disabilities. 

The survey found that even though 59% of disabled and non-disabled people feel that their community is supportive when it comes to accommodating people with disabilities, nearly three fifths (57%) of people with disabilities share the desire to debunk the misconception that people with disabilities are less intimate. What’s more, over one quarter (26%) of people with disabilities stated that people often misidentify their sexuality because of their disability.

Almost half (45%) of non-disabled people know someone with a disability, and nearly one in five (19%) believe that people with disabilities are less sexual and less interested in intimacy. Having a disability does not mean sex can’t be enjoyable, sexual wellness is all about exploration and it is so important not to hide behind anxieties and instead be vocal about your desires, or lack of them, so you can discover what sex and pleasure means to you as an individual person. 

LELO’s sex and relationship expert, Kate Moyle, comments: “For too long the conversation around sex lives and sexual wellness has been very narrow, and a large group left out of the inclusive conversation have been people with disabilities. There is a misguided notion that disabled people don’t have sex lives and desires like the rest of us, and this is a narrative that we need to change.”

LELO’s CMO, Luka Matutinović, comments: “Disability can have a profound impact on sex life. Self-confidence, overcoming physical and emotional barriers, and being excluded from the talk of and education about sexuality are just some of the issues facing disabled people wanting a healthy sex life. At LELO, we want to use our voice to shine a light on the topic that is largely omitted from the media and destigmatise the conversation around it.”