Breaking The Silence Surrounding Sex And Disability

Breaking The Silence Surrounding Sex And Disability

From 1A by NPR

April 22, 2026 · 43 min

About this episode

This episode discusses the often-ignored topic of sex and disability, highlighting the challenges and conversations surrounding it.

More than 70 million Americans live with a disability. That’s roughly one in four adults. And any of us can join that number at any point in our lives. Through an injury, illness, or simply getting older. Disabled people are one of the largest minorities in this country. Yet there’s one part of their lives that almost never gets discussed: sex. Today, that silence is being challenged – by disabled people themselves – online, in film and television, and in conversations happening in bedrooms and doctors’ offices across the country. In February, we brought you 1A’s first sex week – about sex across our lifespans. And you told us you wanted more about sex and disability. How do we express our needs in the bedroom, especially when the sex we want doesn’t match common ideas of what sex – and the people who have it – can look like? Find more of our programs online . Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

People in this episode

Host: 1A

Topics covered

  • disability
  • sex
  • sexuality
  • communication
  • healthcare
  • social issues

Keywords

  • disability
  • sex
  • sexual health
  • communication
  • intimacy
  • social stigma
  • healthcare

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NPR

Places: America, United States

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