Sexuality and Disabled Teens

In a policy update issued two weeks ago, the American Academy of Pediatrics is advising doctors that discussions on sexuality and birth control options should be a part of routine care for young people with disabilities. The new policy suggests that teens with disabilities should have access to oral contraceptives, patches, injections and IUDs – the statement also urges pediatricians to recommend the use of condoms every time they have sex. What saddens me, is that the Academy does not mention abstinence, let alone advise doctors to encourage parents to administer sex education. When it comes to raising a special-needs child, parents invest too much in their well being to simply ‘abdicate’ the responsibility of sex education to others – and only a parent knows when a child with, let’s say, an intellectual disability is ready for such information. Parents should retain their authority to teach their children with disabilities about sex and responsible behavior. Matthew 10:21 speaks of a time coming when “children will rebel against their parents.” And perhaps this new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics is, indeed, a sign of the times.