Sex and Paraplegics Essay Example
Sex and Paraplegics Essay Example

Sex and Paraplegics Essay Example

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  • Pages: 3 (672 words)
  • Published: May 8, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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Sexuality is a major part of human’s nature. In its sense, sex can be considered as the intimate expression of love in a relationship but problems start to arise if an individual is incapable of engaging in it due to physical limitations. Such is the case of paraplegics, or individuals suffering from paraplegia which is the paralysis of the lower part of the body, including both limbs as caused by the compression of the spinal cord resulting from an injury.  (Dorland, 2007) Majority of the paraplegics are facing this kind of sexual dilemma and frustrations due to their disability and this leads to the issue of sex for paraplegics.The degree, stage, and type of disability will determine the sexual functioning of a person, especially that of a paraplegic.

During sex, the response and sensation of the peni

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s and clitoris will depend largely on the stage and severity of the spinal cord’s injury.  (Karp, n.d.) Even if paraplegics can’t use their bodies like a normal person, it does not imply that they are uninterested in sex. Even if they hind it hard to achieve, they can still feel it and they want to experience it along with their partner.

For people like paraplegics, medical professionals are trying to find a cure for this disease. In fact, a high level of attention is being given to the sexual functioning of these people. Starting on 1991, records of the diseases of the spinal cord are successfully given aid. This was made possible through the help of the International Spinal Cord Regeneration Center. (Lewis, 2004) In Tokyo Japan, they offer sex services for the disabled.

One such service center is

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Enjoy Club, offering hand or oral relief services to the disabled. It is a fact that some diseases can actually cause negative sexual side effects. Among these are the sexually transmitted diseases, also known as STDs. These diseases such as herpes and gonorrhea may cause warts of the genitals and vaginal discharge.

 (Brown & Lindsey, 1993) For the case of male paraplegics that are having erectile dysfunction or ED, some treatments are available for its temporary cure. An option for treatment is the intake of oral medications such as Viagra® or Levitra®. These drugs help the penis to erect so that an individual can perform better during sex. Another treatment is the use of penile injection therapy. Here, hard erection will result if a drug or drugs are injected into the side of the penis. The treatments for erectile dysfunction are also prone to risks which can cause negative sexual side effects.

One example is priapism which can cause damage to the penis or worse due to prolonged erections.  (Jackson, 2007)Having known the paraplegics and the sexual issue that they are experiencing, we as a society should work hand in hand towards this matter. We should set policies for different people institutionalized as a consequence of their being physically disabled, developmentally delayed or elderly. Policies such as further scientific researches about this matter should be pursued. Also, policies that allow the paraplegics to have a normal life of living should be pursued, that is, they should not be deprived of their rights to have a partner whom they can share a sexual life, through marriage. In line with this policy, we can set laws that

will punish who will deprived the paraplegics their human and sexual rights and those that will show them misconducts and unwilling behavior.

Sex isn’t something that is done only to express the urge of human nature. Instead it is an act of love and even in the case of paraplegics, no matter how intimate or weak they have expressed it, it is still considered as a gift that must be treasured. They can still experience it through the help of the society as aided by scientific advancements. It is an important issue that the paraplegics are facing and thus, should be analyzed well by the society in order to find a specific answer to the dilemma of the paraplegics.

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