ABSTRACT
Sex is high on the agenda for most young people. Adolescence can be a difficult time and there may be anxiety about self-image and how teenagers are perceived by others, most particularly their peers. A particular problem for people with physical disabilities can be the feeling of being different which may be all too obvious if the disability is evident by loss of function. Many parents of young people with disabilities feel anxious not only on behalf of the young person but also about how they are going to cope themselves. Health professionals and schools need to be prepared to respond effectively to queries raised and to be prepared to raise the issues themselves. Accurate information is very helpful in defusing anxiety. Young person with a learning disability, the hormonal changes that occur in all young people also occur in those with disabilities. People with disabilities, especially learning disabilities, are often seen as children and asexual or non-sexual.
