Support for relationships and sexual health

Introduction
Document

This information is about services that can support your relationships and sexual health.

 

It has information on

A man and a woman hugging sitting down.
  • What are relationships and sexual health
Information
  • Sexual health services and information for people with intellectual disability
LGBTQ+ rainbow
  • Services and support for people who identify as LGBTQ+
People being aggressive
  • Domestic and sexual violence supports
Mental health words

There is a lot of information.

 

Some words can be hard to understand.

Talking to someone you trust

You can ask someone to read this information with you.

What are relationships and sexual health
Two people in a relationship

Having romantic relationships and sex are an important part of life for everyone including people with intellectual disability.

 

A relationship is a type of connection you have with a person you enjoy spending time with.

A man and a woman holding hands. They are looking at each other.

Support is available on

  • How to form and keep relationships going

 

  • Sex
A man and a woman hugging sitting down.
  • Sexual identity

 

Your sexual identity involves who you like and want to have sex with.

Person pointing to themself
  • Sexual health

 

Sexual health means taking care of the parts of your body involved in sex.

Sexual health services and information for people with intellectual disability

Education and counselling

Person reading

Northcott has a sexuality and relationship education service.

 

For more information about Northcott go to https://northcott.com.au/sexuality-and-relationship-education/

Person reading

Family Planning Victoria has sexual education courses for people with intellectual disability.

 

For more information about the sexual education courses go to https://shvic.org.au/for-you/people-with-a-disability

Two people sharing information

Sexual Health and Planning ACT has information and training on

  • Relationships

 

  • Sexuality

 

  • Sexual health

 

For more information about the training go to https://www.shfpact.org.au/

Information

Information

Family Planning NSW has

  • Information on sexual health

 

  • Clinics where you can book an appointment to see a doctor about sexual health issues

 

  • Disability services

 

Go to https://www.fpnsw.org.au/

Easy Read sheet

Family Planning NSW also has Easy Read information about

  • Relationships

 

  • Sexual health

 

  • Sexual identity

 

To see the Easy Read information go to https://www.fpnsw.org.au/factsheets/
individuals/disability/all-about-sex

Person reading

MyCareSpace has information about

  • Relationship issues

 

  • Information about sexual health

 

For more information about MyCareSpace go to https://mycarespace.com.au/resources/sex-and-the-ndis-funding

Information

Women with Disabilities Australia has information about womens health.

 

The information includes doing tests for things like cancer.

 

To see the information go to https://oursite.wwda.org.au/sex-and-your-body/womens-health

Two people sharing information

SHINE SA has information to support your sexual health and relationships.

 

To see the information go to https://shinesa.org.au/community-information/disability-sexuality/

Information

Relationships Australia has information and support for healthy relationships.

 

To see the information go to https://relationships.org.au/what-we-do/

A man and woman holding hands, looking at each other's faces. In front of their bodies is a document.

Tell it Like it is, is a Canadian website.

 

It has information about

  • Relationships
  • Dating
  • Gender identity
  • Sexual identity
  • Safe sex for people who learn in different ways
Information

To see the information go to https://nevertmi.ca/

Other services

A man and a woman hugging sitting down.

Touching Base can support you to get in touch with appropriate sex service providers in NSW.

 

For more information about Touching Base go to  https://www.touchingbase.org/clients/

Services and support for people who identify as LGBTQ+
LGBTQ+ rainbow

LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning.

Two women holding hands

Lesbian means women who are attracted to other women.

Two men holding hands

Gay means men who are attracted to other men.

A man and a woman hugging sitting down.

Bisexual means people who are attracted to both men and women.

Transgender

Transgender means people who are now a different gender to the one that they were given when they were born.

Person confused

Questioning is if you feel that you might not be heterosexual but you are not sure.

Two people in a relationship

A heterosexual person is

  • A woman who is attracted to men

 

or

 

  • A man who is attracted to women
Person working on a computer

For more information about LGBTQ+ people go to https://www.idmhconnect.health/lgbtq-people/ER

Person using the internet

Below are some websites and information.

LGBTQ+ rainbow

Twenty10 helps people in NSW between 12 and 25 years old who identify as LGBTQ+.

 

Go to https://www.twenty10.org.au/

Communicating with a health worker

Twenty10 has services for everyone not just people with intellectual disability.

 

Twenty10 provides

  • Counselling
Two people sitting on different sides of a desk. One is a doctor and the other is a patient. Both look happy.
  • Mental health support
Person pointing to themself

Mental health is about 

 

  • How you think

 

  • How you feel
Support bubble
  • Support for social skills

 

Social skills are the skills you use to communicate with other people.

Communication

To communicate is how you understand and share your feelings or information.

Two people sitting at a table. They are facing each other and communicating using sign language.

QLife is a chatline that provides free LGBTQ+ peer support and referrals.

 

Peer support is when you get support from someone who has lived experience of mental health, disability or both.

Talking on the phone and looking happy

You can

  • Call QLife on 1800 184 527 between 3pm and midnight every day

 

  • Chat to QLife online
Person using the internet

For more information about QLife go to https://qlife.org.au/

Facebook

Sydney Queer and Disability Community is a community group on Facebook that supports people with disabilities who identify as LGBTQ+.

 

For more information about the community group go to https://www.facebook.com/queeranddisabled

Domestic and sexual violence supports
People being aggressive

Domestic violence is when someone you know hurts you or makes you feel unsafe.

Grabbing someone

Someone who hurts you could be

  • Your partner

 

Your partner could be your boyfriend or girlfriend, husband or wife.

Two people in a relationship
  • A past partner
Family member with mental health problem
  • Someone in your family

 

  • Someone you live with
Carer not facing the person
  • A carer or support worker
No

Sexual violence is when someone forces somebody to do a sexual activity when they do not want to.

000 with a phone on top of the numbers. Under the 000 is the word emergency and beneath this is images of an ambulance, police hat and a fire.

If you are in danger call 000.

 

You are in danger if you could be hurt or injured.

 

For more information about what to do if you are in danger go to https://idmhconnect.health/emergency-help/ER

Person looking upset while talking to a health worker on the phone

You can call the NSW Domestic Violence Line if you feel unsafe at home.

 

You can call them on 1800 65 64 63 any time any day.

Talking on the phone and looking upset

You can also call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

 

This phone service can help anyone who has experienced sexual violence or domestic violence.

Communicating with a health worker

Full Stop Australia supports people who have experienced

  • Sexual violence

 

  • Domestic violence

 

  • Family violence

 

Full Stop Australia has counsellors who know a lot about this area.

Communicating with a health worker

A counsellor is a health worker.

 

You can communicate with them about problems in your life.

Person looking upset while talking to a health worker on the phone

To contact Full Stop Australia you can

  • Call 1800 385 578

 

Screen capture of the Wordlist on the Intellectual Disability Mental Health Connect website.

There are some tricky words on this Easy Read page.

 

For more information about these words go to https://www.idmhconnect.health/word-list