Literature Review on Provision of Appropriate and Accessible ...

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and the particular pressures faced by adults with intellectual
disabilities (McCarthy, 1999).
Laws that prohibit specific sexual relationships
• It has been argued that the specific power held by people in
positions in authority undermines the potential for free consent
(McCarthy and Thompson, 2004). In recognition of this, laws
have been created that avoid tests of capacity and consent and
which may lead to higher prosecution rates (McCarthy and
Thompson, 2004). In England and Wales, sections 38-41 of the
Sexual Offences Act 2003 deal with offences where the defendant
is in some form of care relationship with the complainant. In
these offences any sexual activity between the care worker
and the person with the mental disorder is prohibited whilst
that relationship continues. Section 17 of the Crimes (Sexual
Offences) Act 2006 in Victoria, Australia, provides another
example of where it is an offence for a care worker to engage in
an act of sexual penetration or to commit an indecent act with a
person with a cognitive impairment.
Support to People with an Intellectual Disability who are
Accessible
and Appropriate of Provision on <strong>Review</strong> <strong>Literature</strong>
Experiencing Crisis Pregnancy
Supports
• One study in the United Kingdom demonstrated that about
half of the participants with intellectual disabilities involved
in the research would have been unable to consent to sexual
relationships because they did not understand about pregnancy
and/or sexually transmitted diseases (Murphy and O’Callaghan,
2004). The authors concluded that it was essential for people
to have on-going access to sex education (as opposed to the
‘one shot’ variety), particularly with regard to sexual health and
pregnancy, contraception, safe sex, abuse, and some aspects of
the law (such as consent).