People with disabilities want friendships and relationships as much as anyone else. Unfortunately, there is a lack of appropriate education out there to support safe and healthy relationships. The rate of sexual assault is 7 times higher for individuals with intellectual disabilities than for those without. The Sexual Health SIG is hosting Katie Thune from Mad Hatter Wellness and the author of Sexuality for All Abilities to talk about how we can work together to lower that statistic by supporting the sexual health for this population through conversations, education and awareness.

Join the AUCD Sexual Health Special Interest Group for Sex Talk for Self-Advocates Webinar #8: Parenting on January 26, 2021, from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. ET. Our expert hosts of sexuality educators and self-advocates have invited a panel to discuss questions and topics related to having children and parenting for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This webinar is part of an on-going series that addresses self-advocate questions about relationships and sexuality. This series is a great learning opportunity for self-advocates, professionals, and paraprofessionals working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to understand sexual health needs better.

Join the AUCD Sexual Health Special Interest Group for our final Sex Talk for Self-Advocates Webinar #9: Sexual Self-Advocacy on May 26, 2021, from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. ET. Our expert hosts of sexuality educators and self-advocates have invited a panel to discuss questions and topics related to advocating for ones right to have relationships and sexuality as well as how to advocate for oneself within relationships. This webinar is part of an on-going series that addresses self-advocate questions about relationships and sexuality. This series is a great learning opportunity for self-advocates, professionals, and paraprofessionals working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to understand sexual health needs better.

Dr. Jennifer Ames from the AIR-P Gender, Sexuality, and Reproductive Health Research Node, will describe ongoing research examining reproductive health and obstetrics/gynecology health care gaps for autistic people, inclusive of female, transgender, and gender-diverse identities. The presentation will focus on topics such OB/GYN clinic visits, cervical cancer screenings, and use of hormonal contraception, with particular attention to differences across sociodemographic characteristics. Future work investigating obstetric care quality and pregnancy experiences will also be discussed.