# Inclusive Intimacy: Sexual Experiences, Debut, and Partners Among Females Ages 15–25 with and Without Disability, NSFG 2011–2019

## TL;DR

This study finds that young women with disabilities have earlier sexual debuts and more partners than those without disabilities, emphasizing the need for inclusive sexual education and healthcare.

## Contribution

The study provides population-level insights into sexual experiences of disabled females, highlighting disparities and the need for tailored sexual health interventions.

## Key findings

- Females with disabilities were more likely to have an opposite-sex sexual debut before age 15.
- Disabled females had more opposite-sex and same-sex partners compared to non-disabled peers.
- The study underscores the importance of inclusive sexual education and healthcare for disabled youth.

## Abstract

This study extends the growing literature on adolescent and young adult females with disabilities’ sexual experiences by using nationally representative survey data. We analyzed the 2011–2019 National Survey of Family Growth to examine disability’s association with sexual experiences among females aged 15–25 (n = 7884). Chi-square and modified Poisson regression analysis compared sexual experiences, debut, and number of partners of females with and without disability by status and type. After adjustment, females with any, cognitive, or physical/sensory disability were more likely than those without disability to have had an opposite-sex sexual debut before age 15 and 10 or more opposite-sex sex partners. Those with any or cognitive disability were more likely than those without disability to have given oral sex to a male, receive oral sex from a male, had anal sex with a male, had any sexual experience with a female, and had 10 or more same-sex partners. Our analyses provide detailed population-level data on disabled adolescent and young adult females’ sexual experiences, debut, and partners and demonstrate that young disabled females have active sexual lives, highlighting the need for comprehensive sexual education and health care addressing relationships with all genders, STI testing and prevention, and sexual rights and consent.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11195-025-09931-9.