Expressing yourself after injury
People are sexual beings by nature. Sexuality is not just about the physical act of sexual intercourse, but also includes emotional, intellectual, and social aspects as well as other forms of sexual expression. Spinal cord injury may alter certain physical and emotional aspects, but there are still many ways that an injured person can express their sexuality.
Healthy sexuality after spinal cord injury involves:
- Communicating your feelings, thoughts, and desires
- Expressing yourself sexually in a positive, healthy way
- Experiencing sexual pleasure with or without erections or orgasms
- Using your senses of sight, sound, smell, and taste to heighten your sexual pleasure so that you can be less dependent on touch alone
- Having a good sense of humor with your partner
At the heart of sexuality is the ability to communicate openly with your partner. You must be able to talk with and listen to your partner about your needs, likes and dislikes, and disabilities. You also need to express anger and frustration in a positive way.
Good communication skills are very important to healthy sexual relations after SCI. Counselors, psychologists, and sexual therapists can help you work through any problems you are having. A sex therapist can review your options to enhance your sexual pleasure.
In this section
- Male sexuality: Understand how spinal cord injury affects male sexual health, function, and intimacy.
- Female sexuality: Learn about changes in sexual health, function, and intimacy for women after SCI.
- Dating 101: Tips for building confidence, communication, and navigating relationships after spinal cord injury.