Autism, Sex, & Stigmas

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that can cause developmental disorders. ASD can bring about social, cognitive, communicative, and behavioral challenges.

There is no single person affected by autism in the same way; Everyone has different levels at which their ASD affects their functionality as there are many other skills autism can affect. These impacts are called the “spectrum” in autism spectrum disorder.

For example, some people with autism can live an uninterrupted lifestyle. On the other hand, some people who have ASD may be significantly impacted by intellectual disabilities and communication issues. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM-5), people with these types of cognitive or language barriers may be diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, one of the common diagnoses that fall under the ASD umbrella.

The exact cause of autism is not known, but scientists and healthcare professionals believe it may be based on genetic and environmental factors.

Because people who have ASD may display some noticeable symptoms, such as communication and social interaction issues, neurotypical people frequently label adults and adolescents who are autistic as having no sexual interest or thoughts. The United Kingdom’s TEACCH Report, which studies autism and sexual behaviors, lists five assumptions about autism and sex. Common assumptions are that people who have ASD:

• Have a lower libido.
• Are less interested in romantic relationships.
• Are less interested in intimate relationships.
• Are unable to comprehend or “handle” sexual education or engagement.
• Have less sexual interest overall.
• Should not be educated about sex.

While non-disabled people may come to these conclusions, studies show that a person who has ASD develops and maintains the same level of sexual interest as neurotypical people.

People who have autism are just like non-disabled people, and we all go through the same sexual development. There’s the curiosity phase when you’re younger, the experimental phase consisting of sexual exploration and further curiosity as an adolescent, and finally, for some, the engagement phase where we begin having some type of sexual contact, having sex, and developing romantic and sexual relationships. Of course, this process is never the same for any one person— everyone has different sexual experiences at various times throughout their lives.

The main challenge adolescents who have autism face may be their lack of sexual knowledge simply because they aren’t given enough information from those around them. Sexual development is a crucial part of our sexual health, mental health, and the overall health of every person. It can affect our understanding of relationships, bodies, and internal wants and needs.

Adolescents and adults with autism form their own gender identities, just the same as people who are non-disabled. Gender identity is a person’s internal sense of their gender. When you are assigned a gender at birth and continue to identify as that gender, you are considered cisgender. However, if you are given a gender at birth and choose to identify with a different gender, you may choose to be called transgender, gender fluid, or nonbinary.

In the United States, approximately one percent of the population identifies as nonbinary, transgender, or gender fluid. According to autism research, identifying with a sex different than the one assigned at birth is three to six times more common in people with ASD. The overlap between autism and gender identity shows that adults with autism are obviously in touch with their gender and sex.

When it comes to sexual orientation, studies show that identifying as LGBTQIA+ is common among people who have autism. Some may identify as homosexual, bisexual, or asexual. A survey of 2,400 people with autism found adults who had ASD were three to nine times more likely to identify as homosexual, asexual, or “other.” Women with autism were three times more likely to identify as homosexual, and men were three times more likely to identify as bisexual.

Some believe that this prevalence of LGBTQIA+ identification may be due to fewer social restrictions and pressures felt by people who have ASD. Without social anxieties, they are free to show their true selves more openly than people without a disability. These studies clearly show that people who have autism are well aware of their sexual selves and sexual desires.

Intimacy is a meaningful way we as humans express ourselves and connect with others. People who have autism have the same intimate desires as everyone else. And, just like neurotypicals, adults with autism date, have romantic relationships, get married, and engage in sexual intercourse and sexual activity.

Clinician studies have found that men who have ASD have a strong desire for romantic relationships, and females have a high rate of engagement in relationships. Currently, there isn’t enough information to say just how many or what percent of adults who have autism engage in sexual intercourse, but there have been some findings in how sex can be different for people who have ASD:

• Sensory sensitivities. Some people who have autism are sensitive to stimuli that can affect their ability to have sex. Sensory processing disorder (SPD) is common among individuals with autism. Someone with SPD may be overloaded with sensory input from their five senses: Smell, sight, taste, touch, sound. A person who has ASD may also have issues with their interoceptive (internal) and proprioceptive (external) senses. This means that they may not be able to tell what sensations are happening inside or outside of the body.
• Communication roadblocks. If a person with autism has trouble with verbal or non-verbal communication, they may experience complications with their partner during sexual activity or in their relationships. This can also complicate the person’s ability to read what their partner is feeling or the physical cues they are giving.

While most aspects of having sex as a person with ASD are similar to sex for people who are non-disabled, some risks may occur alongside sexual engagement. These include:

• Sexual assault. According to the Justice Department’s unpublished federal crime data, people who have developmental disabilities experience sexual assault seven times more than people without special needs. It’s also reported that the attacker is commonly someone the person who is disabled knows. The victimization of a person with autism may occur because predators are more likely to target them because they may be prone to manipulation, or not be able to differentiate between what constitutes a “good” or “bad” touch. It may also be due to a lack of sexual knowledge.

*If you or a loved one is aware of sexual assault or has been assaulted, visit the National Sexual Assault telephone hotline website, or call directly at 800.656.HOPE (4673).

• Excessive masturbation. This is common in men who have autism. It’s linked to a need for sexual activity (just as everyone else has this, but may not be met because of a lack of intimacy), repetitive behavior, and possible obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD).

Each risk correlated with sexual engagement in people who have autism can be linked to a lack of sexual education, knowledge, discussion, and transparency. It’s essential that we help change this by destigmatizing the conversations around sex and autism, both in and out of the autistic community.

In the first half of the 20th century, people with special needs were involuntarily sterilized to “cleanse” the general population of “undesirable” traits. Sterilization included vasectomies and hysterectomies among the special needs communities. For many years after, most healthcare providers, psychologists, and researchers still believed that a person with special needs would be unable to understand sexuality, much less wish to engage in sexual activity or romantic relationships. And according to a 2015 PubMed study, researchers are still discovering more about the sexual behaviors and desires of people who have ASD.

While it is unfortunate and sickening that people who are disabled were mistreated, we now know that people who have autism are capable of experiencing the entire spectrum of sexuality, just as people who are neurotypical do.

Many of the issues people who have ASD face regarding sexual behavior and activity can be traced back to those old beliefs and stigmas, so it’s clear that we need to have more resources available to the autistic and non-disabled communities.

Besides educating yourself on how autism affects sex, you can advocate for more attainable sex education for younger people who have ASD. Sex education is crucial to any society’s success, health, and decency, and adolescents with autism need to be educated, just as adolescents who are non-disabled are.

The easiest way to educate everyone is to have open discussions with peers and family members about sex and sexual health. Talking openly about sex could decrease sexual abuse and assault rates among people with ASD, increase the ability to have and maintain romantic relationships, and reduce the occurrences of sex offenses by people who have autism.

People who have autism can also be supported in their sexual and romantic endeavors by receiving information about romantic relationships.

If you or a loved one has autism, you may experience incontinence. We know how frustrating it can be to run out of incontinence supplies and spend finances on expensive products. That’s where Aeroflow Urology comes in! We assist in supplying incontinence supplies through your Medicaid (and some private insurance) plans.

Want to see if you qualify for incontinence supplies through Aeroflow Urology? Simply fill out our eligibility form-- it’s quick and easy to do.

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We’ll also send you text messages or email reminders when it’s time to refill your supply, so you’ll never run out of incontinence supplies again.

Male Incontinence

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Understanding Incontinence With an Older Child With Autism

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Information provided on the Aeroflow Urology website is not intended as a substitute for medical advice or care from a healthcare professional. Aeroflow recommends consulting your healthcare provider if you are experiencing medical issues relating to incontinence.