E. Richards et al., WOMEN WITH COMPLETE SPINAL-CORD INJURY - A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY OF SEXUALITY AND RELATIONSHIP EXPERIENCES, Sexuality and disability, 15(4), 1997, pp. 271-283
The phenomenological study described in this paper examines the sexual
ity and relationship ''lived experiences'' of 15 adult women who susta
ined complete spinal cord injury between the levels of T6 and L2 verif
ied by a physiatrist. Audiotaped, semi-structured interviews were cond
ucted by an interdisciplinary team of investigators. A set of themes a
nd sequentially consistent patterns emerged from post-injury data that
were labelled: Cognitive-genital dissociation, sexual disenfranchisem
ent, sexual exploration, and sexuality reintegration. Sexuality and re
lationship issues in women with complete SCI are discussed, and indica
tions for future studies and educational implications are presented.