Dating persons with physical disabilities: The perceptions of South Africans without disabilities

Article


Hunt, Xanthe, Swartz, Leslie, Carew, Mark Thomas, Braathen, Stine Hellum, Chiwaula, Mussa and Rohleder, P. 2017. Dating persons with physical disabilities: The perceptions of South Africans without disabilities. Culture, Health and Sexuality. 20 (2), pp. 141-155. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2017.1334964
AuthorsHunt, Xanthe, Swartz, Leslie, Carew, Mark Thomas, Braathen, Stine Hellum, Chiwaula, Mussa and Rohleder, P.
Abstract

There is good reason to believe that the attitudes of persons without disability towards dating a person with a physical disability might be unfavourable. However, in general, and in the Global South in particular, there is a dearth of research in this area. This study sought to take the first step in addressing this lack of enquiry, by surveying the attitudes of a general population sample in South Africa towards dating people with physical disabilities, using a vignette. Data from 1,723 survey respondents were analysed thematically. Findings reveal largely negative attitudes towards people with physical disabilities. Respondents without disability perceived numerous barriers to dating a person with a physical disability, including social stigma, anxiety, and concerns about the burden of care they believed such a relationship would place upon them. However, there was some evidence to suggest that some positive attitudes do exist, and a few respondents were open to dating a person with physical disabilities. Findings contribute to a nuancing and expanding of the ‘myth of asexuality’ among physically disabled people by showing that people with physical disabilities are actively desexualised by persons without disability. Future research is needed to explore how the inclusive attitudes, of which we did find evidence here, can be further cultivated.

Keywordsdisability; dating beliefs; contact theory; social exclusion; prejudice; South Africa
JournalCulture, Health and Sexuality
Journal citation20 (2), pp. 141-155
ISSN1369-1058
1464-5351
Year2017
PublisherTaylor & Francis (Routledge)
Accepted author manuscript
License
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2017.1334964
Web address (URL)https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2017.1334964
Publication dates
Online21 Jun 2017
Publication process dates
Deposited08 Jun 2017
Accepted23 May 2017
Accepted23 May 2017
Copyright information© 2017 Taylor & Francis. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Culture, Health and Sexuality on 21/06/2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/13691058.2017.1334964
Additional information

Title may not exactly replicate the final version published in the journal as Hunt, X., Carew, M., Braathen, S., Swartz, L., Chiwaula, M., &Rohleder, P. (in press). “All he meant was being nice out of pity”: Non-disabled South Africans’ narratives about dating persons with physical disabilities. Culture, Health & Sexuality.

Permalink -

https://repository.uel.ac.uk/item/84v52

Download files


Accepted author manuscript
  • 267
    total views
  • 323
    total downloads
  • 3
    views this month
  • 4
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

LOLS@stigma: comedy as activism in the changing times of the HIV epidemic
Mulubale, S., Rohleder, P. and Squire, C. 2020. LOLS@stigma: comedy as activism in the changing times of the HIV epidemic. Critical Public Health. 31 (3), pp. 255-267. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2020.1838445
Sexuality erased, questioned, and explored: the experiences of South Africans with physical disabilities
Rohleder, P., Braathen, Stine Hellum, Hunt, Xanthe, Carew, Mark T. and Swartz, Leslie 2018. Sexuality erased, questioned, and explored: the experiences of South Africans with physical disabilities. Psychology & Sexuality. 9 (4), pp. 369-379. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2018.1500935
Ten Years After: An ‘Austerity Audit’ of Services and Living Conditions for People Living with HIV in the UK, a Decade after the Financial Crisis
Aduaka, C., Campbell, T., Clift, P., Forbes, K., Gilby, L., Goel, P., Gowar, C., Irtwange-Shikaru, R., Karibo, A., Llorca, G., McLeish, V., Mulubale, S., Paparini, S., Rattue, M., Rohleder, P., Squire, C., Thamm, W. and Welbourne, A. 2018. Ten Years After: An ‘Austerity Audit’ of Services and Living Conditions for People Living with HIV in the UK, a Decade after the Financial Crisis. HIV Psychosocial Network.
Creative collaboration on a disability and sexuality participatory action research project: A reflective diary account
Rohleder, P., Braathen, Stine Hellum, Carew, Mark T, Chiwaula, Mussa, Hunt, Xanthe and Swartz, Leslie 2018. Creative collaboration on a disability and sexuality participatory action research project: A reflective diary account. Qualitative Research in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/14780887.2018.1499837
Withdrawn, strong, kind, but de-gendered: Non-disabled South Africans’ stereotypes concerning persons with physical disabilities
Hunt, Xanthe, Carew, Mark, Braathen, Stine Hellum, Swartz, Leslie, Chiwaula, Mussa and Rohleder, P. 2018. Withdrawn, strong, kind, but de-gendered: Non-disabled South Africans’ stereotypes concerning persons with physical disabilities. Disability and Society. 33 (10), pp. 1579-1600. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2018.1498768
Intimacy, intercourse, and adjustments: Experiences of sexual life of a group of people with physical disabilities in South Africa
Hunt, Xanthe, Braathen, Stine Hellum, Swartz, Leslie, Carew, Mark and Rohleder, P. 2017. Intimacy, intercourse, and adjustments: Experiences of sexual life of a group of people with physical disabilities in South Africa. Journal of Health Psychology. 23 (2), pp. 289 -305. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317741761
The sexual lives of people with disabilities within low- and middle-income countries: A scoping study of studies published in English
Carew, M., Braathen, S., Swartz, L., Hunter, X. and Rohleder, P. 2017. The sexual lives of people with disabilities within low- and middle-income countries: A scoping study of studies published in English. Global Health Action. 10 (1), p. Art. 1337342. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2017.1337342
'When it comes to HIV, that’s when you find out the genuinity of that love’: The experience of disclosing a HIV+ status to an intimate partner
Smith, Charlotte, Cook, Rachel and Rohleder, P. 2017. 'When it comes to HIV, that’s when you find out the genuinity of that love’: The experience of disclosing a HIV+ status to an intimate partner. Journal of Health Psychology. 24 (8), pp. 1011-1022. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317691588
The sexual and reproductive rights and benefit derived from sexual and reproductive health services of people with physical disabilities in South Africa: beliefs of non-disabled people
Hunt, Xanthe, Swartz, Leslie, Carew, Mark, Braathen, Stine Hellum, Chiwaula, Mussa and Rohleder, P. 2017. The sexual and reproductive rights and benefit derived from sexual and reproductive health services of people with physical disabilities in South Africa: beliefs of non-disabled people. Reproductive Health Matters. 25 (50), pp. 66-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/09688080.2017.1332949
A qualitative study of the emotional coping and support needs of children living with a parent with a brain injury
Rohleder, P., Lambie, John and Hale, Emily 2016. A qualitative study of the emotional coping and support needs of children living with a parent with a brain injury. Brain Injury. 31 (2), pp. 199-207. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699052.2016.1225985
Taking into account the quality of the relationship in HIV disclosure
Smith, Charlotte, Cook, Rachel and Rohleder, P. 2016. Taking into account the quality of the relationship in HIV disclosure. AIDS and Behavior. 21 (1), pp. 106-117. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10461-016-1323-z
The sexual health knowledge of people with intellectual disabilities: A review.
Borawska-Charko, Magdalena, Rohleder, P. and Finlay, Mick, W. L. 2016. The sexual health knowledge of people with intellectual disabilities: A review. Sexuality Research and Social Policy. 14 (4), pp. 393-409. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-016-0267-4
A qualitative investigation into the HIV disclosure process within an intimate partnership: ‘the moment I realized that our relationship was developing into something serious, I just had to tell him’
Smith, Charlotte, Cook, Rachel and Rohleder, P. 2016. A qualitative investigation into the HIV disclosure process within an intimate partnership: ‘the moment I realized that our relationship was developing into something serious, I just had to tell him’. British Journal of Health Psychology. 22 (1), pp. 110-127. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12220
Othering, blame and shame when working with people living with HIV
Rohleder, P. 2015. Othering, blame and shame when working with people living with HIV. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.
‘Experience of sexual self-esteem among men living with HIV’
Rohleder, P., McDermott, Daragh and Cook, Rachel 2015. ‘Experience of sexual self-esteem among men living with HIV’. Journal of Health Psychology.
‘Disability and HIV in Africa: Breaking the barriers to sexual health care’
Rohleder, P. 2017. ‘Disability and HIV in Africa: Breaking the barriers to sexual health care’. Journal of Health Psychology. 22 (11), pp. 1405-1414. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105316628738