- Overview
- Values in Action
- Sexual Rights
Overview
RUA advocates that education and support for people with intellectual disability in the area of sexuality is a rights, health and safety and ethical issue. Comprehensive education and daily support is the best way to ensure that people can safely enjoy expressing sexuality in what ever way is appropriate for them.
Sometimes people think it is not okay to provide sex and relationships education because some people do not have capacity to consent. It is always okay to educate people. Education is a human right. Sex and relationships education covers a wide range of subjects and education and can be tailored to suit the interests and needs of individuals as appropriate.
RUA provides three defined services, An Educational and Training Service, an Assessment Service and a Therapeutic Service.
Vision
'Making Connections'
Mission
'To support individuals with intellectual disability to enjoy friendships and close relationships, and where appropriate, to support their family and staff teams to be comfortable and skilled in talking about issues relating to friendships, relationships, sexuality and intimacy.'
Values in Action
RUA is fully committed to the values of St John of God Community Services and interprets them as follows:
Hospitality
Promoting and welcoming relationships as core to one’s full identity.
Compassion
Relating with kindness and respect at all times.
Respect
Recognising and appreciating that sexuality is central to human experience.
Justice
Supporting the rights of people with intellectual disability in the area of friendships, relationships and sexuality.
Excellence
Practicing with responsibility and realising the highest professional standards as set out in international research and best practice.
The underlying philosophy and guiding principle of RUA is based on the broad definition of sexuality as outlined by the World Health Organisation (WHO):
“Sexuality is a central aspect of being human through life and encompasses sex, gender identities and roles, sexual orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and reproduction. Sexuality is experienced and expressed in thoughts, fantasies, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviours, practices, roles and relationships. While sexuality can include all of these dimensions, not all of them are always experienced or expressed. Sexuality is influenced by the interaction of biological, psychological, social, economic, political, cultural, ethical, legal, historical, religious and spiritual factors.”
(W.H.O. 2002)
Sexual Rights
Sexual rights embrace human rights that are already recognized in national laws, international human rights documents and other consensus statements. They include the right of all persons, free of coercion, discrimination and violence, to:
- the highest attainable standard of sexual health, including access to sexual and reproductive health care services;
- seek, receive and impart information related to sexuality;
- sexuality education;
- respect for bodily integrity;
- choose their partner;
- decide to be sexually active or not;
- consensual sexual relations;
- consensual marriage;
- decide whether or not, and when, to have children;
Rights carry Responsibilities
The responsible exercise of human rights requires that all persons respect the rights of others.
“St John of God Hospitaller services delivers health care services without discrimination against any person on any grounds whatsoever. It works with and for people of different beliefs, backgrounds, traditions and faiths. It respects freedom of conscience, personal choices and individual ethical decisions made by its staff and the people receiving a service from the organisation”
St John of God Relationship and Sexuality Policy
