Sex and Disability: Pleasure Is for Everyone

Sex and Disability: Pleasure Is for Everyone

From This Complex Life by Marie Vakakis

April 8, 2026 · 31 min · Episode 104

About this episode

The episode discusses the intersection of sex and disability, emphasizing that pleasure is for everyone and exploring ways to reclaim intimacy after changes in the body.

Sex and disability. Two words most people still find uncomfortable in the same sentence. I sat down with sexologist Casey Payne to talk about what we get wrong, why pleasure belongs to everyone regardless of how their body works, and what it actually looks like to reclaim intimacy after disability, illness, or a body that's changed. Things Discussed Why disability and sexuality are both taboo and what happens when you put them together Redefining sex beyond intercourse and why that matters for anyone whose body has changed The orgasm gap and why around 90 per cent of women can't orgasm through penetration alone How carers and parents can support sexual autonomy without having every conversation themselves Practical ways to start reclaiming pleasure after illness, injury, or chronic health conditions How to find a sexologist in Australia and what to expect Chapter Timestamps [00:00] Sex and disability: why this conversation matters [03:00] Redefining what sex actually is [06:30] Body image and who sex is for [09:00] The orgasm gap and sex toys as tools [13:00] Carers, parents and adult sexuality [18:30] How sex education lowers abuse risk [22:00] Reclaiming sexuality after…

People in this episode

Host: Marie Vakakis

Guest: Casey Payne

Topics covered

  • sex and disability
  • sexual autonomy
  • intimacy after illness
  • orgasm gap
  • redefining sex
  • pleasure and body image

Keywords

  • disability
  • sexuality
  • pleasure
  • intimacy
  • orgasm gap
  • sex education
  • chronic health conditions
  • body image

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Netflix

Books & works: The Body Is Not an Apology, The Orgasm Gap

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