Looking after your sexual health is part of a person’s growth and development, but it can be a difficult topic to tackle, particularly for children and young people with CP, who may have mobility, personal care or complex communication needs.

It is important that as your child or young person with CP grows and develops, they receive age-appropriate sexual health education and support. This will equip them to be able to make good choices. It can also help them to work out who can answer questions they may have or who can provide support.

It is important to start talking to your child with CP about their sexual health while they are still young, before they reach puberty. Try to work out the best time to have these conversations and use accurate names for body parts and functions. Make sure you listen to, acknowledge and value their experiences and feelings.

Their school will provide sexual health education as part of the curriculum. If this raises questions for them, try to answer honestly, or if you don’t know the answer, help them to find the answers from a member of their healthcare team who they trust and have a good relationship with. Having the right healthcare team to guide your child or young person is really important.

To support your child or young person’s sexual health:

• Their GP can provide advice about contraception and disease prevention.
• A social worker or psychologist can provide information about consent, safety, protective behaviours, relationships, sexual wellbeing and self-esteem.

Encourage your child or young person to interact and connect with their peers from a young age. As they get older, try to involve them in youth groups, community groups, and development and leadership programs, both disability-specific and general. This will assist them to develop strong relationships and have a healthy self-image, which will help support good sexual health.

Some of this information is provided and produced courtesy of The Future Thinking Project, Ability WA.