In our society the handicapped and disabled, such as amputees, paraplegics and quadriplegics, and the victims of cerebral palsy, may receive much valuable medical help, but very little support in developing their sexual interests. On the contrary, under the pretext of "protection", their families, friends, doctors, nurses, and teachers often deny them any opportunity to become sexually active or even explicitly discourage them. Many people simply assume that a serious physical or mental handicap precludes any hope for a rewarding sex life. However, this assumption is false. Except for extremely serious cases, in which the sheer need to survive requires all available energy, some form of sexual pleasure is always possible. The fact that this simple truth is not widely recognized only reflects the sensual poverty of our culture.
The situation is especially difficult for those handicapped or disabled patients who have to live in hospitals or nursing homes, or similar institutions. In such places patients usually have very little privacy and little opportunity to meet other people from the outside. Living areas are segregated according to sex. In addition, the staff is often prudish and intolerant. Many doctors, in fact, do not know that their patients are capable of sexual enjoyment and thus never think of discussing the subject. Thus, the men and women in their care remain without guidance, and many possible sexual alternatives are left unexplored. Furthermore, many hospital administrations feel that they cannot permit any sexual activity on their premises, because this would bring them in conflict with the law, and, unfortunately, this concern may be justified. Conservative employees or relatives of patients who disapprove of non marital sex might bring suit against the institution. Finally, since many patients are incapable of coitus and therefore practice other forms of sexual intercourse, they may well be guilty of "sodomy" or "crimes against nature" as defined in many IPC CODES. This is another reason why doctors may be reluctant to help their patients with necessary sexual experimentation's. Needless to say, all of this applies not only to long-term,
Unfortunately the situation is same for many people who are hospitalized for only a few months or even weeks and, during that time, are needlessly deprived of sexual intercourse. Not every illness demands sexual abstinence, but virtually no hospital offers its patients an opportunity to become intimate with visiting spouses or lovers. On the other hand, in case of a serious illness, lovers may not even be allowed to visit at all, because they are not officially recognized "family members". Such a regulation is especially insensitive to homosexual patients.
Clinical sex research has shown that a great many of even severely handicapped persons can enjoy sex if they are willing to raise their sexual consciousness and to break out of conventional patterns.
Thus depriving them for there sexual options and life inside hospital for long is questionable and needs a second thought in all hospitals and place where we keep such people for treatment for long, in fact, hospital administrators should changed their policies and now allow their patients to find sexual satisfaction.
Unusual problems are faced by the mentally handicapped, especially those who are institutionalized. Still, in principle, everything said above also applies to them. In the past, they were often treated as if they had no sexual interests or sexual rights.. The necessary privacy should be provided by their families or by the institutions to which they are confined. On the other hand, the mentally handicapped also have to be protected against sexual exploitation. This can be done by personal attention, appropriate institutional regulations, and sensible criminal laws.
Where sterilization seems desirable and unavoidable , informed consent should be obtained. Yet, as a matter of policy, the least restrictive alternative should always be preferred. As long as nobody else is harmed, all handicapped and disabled persons are entitled to full sexual fulfillment according to their a