Sociosexual and Marital Relationships

Abstract

Humans are social creatures who generally seek the same or opposite sex to satisfy sociobiological or economic needs, as well as the need for companionship. Recent data have revealed that in the younger age groups whether disabled (physically challenged) or able-bodied, companionship is in fact most preferred (1,21,28). Since 1945, there has been a tremendous surge of interest in the sexuality of SCI patients, as evidenced by a marked increase in the number of publications, lectures, and seminars on the subject (2–4). Unfortunately, before World War II, both physicians and the lay public tended to believe that with paralysis or “deviations from normal physical posture,” individuals became asexual. They ignored the fact that these people had brains, were otherwise functioning normally, and retained many pleasant memories of their sexual experiences in the their “recall centers” (4). Perhaps physicians were ill at ease, or the social milieu was such that they felt inhibited about, discussing sexuality with their patients. With the liberated social climate of the 1980s, patients at last became more assertive. Today, in the 90s, they can freely ask explicit questions about sex and are willing to relearn facts about sexuality and sexual relationships (1,3,4).