Sexual Health is a complex and important part of overall health and wellness. It connects with nearly all other areas of health in our lives, including physical health, mental health, emotional health, and relational health. Sexual Health affects how we develop relationships with others, how we think of ourselves, how we care for ourselves, and how we stay safe. Everyone is deserving of inclusive, accessible sexual health education that is free of shame and judgment.
Youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities don’t always have access to sexual health education. With so many topics to cover, it can feel overwhelming for youth, caregivers and professionals to decide where to go for information. In this resource hub, you will find a collection of videos, learning tools, and webpages to help youth with disabilities and their supportive networks build a strong foundation for sexual health. You will also find information about Virginia organizations who are offering relationship and sex education for young people with IDD and national organizations who offer curriculums, trainings, and other resources.
This resource hub is curated by the Disability-inclusive Sexual Health Network (DSHN). DSHN is a grant-funded program of SexEdVA within the Institute for Innovation in Health and Human Services at James Madison University. The goal of DSHN is to make sexual health education more accessible to youth with disabilities in Virginia. DSHN provides funding, technical assistance, and project support to 11 diverse disability providers throughout the state. These partners provide sexual health education and resources to youth with disabilities, their families, and professionals working with the IDD population. Click to learn more about DSHN partners.
Learn more about training opportunities from Virginia and National organizations.
Learn more about how you can incorporate sexual health topics into your student’s IEP. Virginia families can also learn about Family Life Education in Virginia and how it affects their student.
The project described was made possible by Grant Number TP2AH000063-01-00 from the HHS Office of Population Affairs. Contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Health and Human Services of the Office of Population Affairs.