Navigating risks and professional roles: research with lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer young people with intellectual disabilities

J Empir Res Hum Res Ethics. 2012 Oct;7(4):20-33. doi: 10.1525/jer.2012.7.4.20.

Abstract

We examine ethical issues that emerged during a community-based participatory research (CBPR) study in Toronto, Canada, exploring sexual health attitudes and practices among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people (ages 17-26) labeled with intellectual disabilities. These ethical concerns included: (1) managing the risk of coercion, (2) consent to participate in the study, (3) issues of confidentiality and disclosure, (4) balancing beneficence with self-determination, and (5) role conflict for researcher-practitioners who participate in CBPR projects. Incorporating critical disability perspectives and a heightened awareness of professional role conflict into CBPR practices has the potential to foster development of more inclusive and accessible sexual health initiatives and research environments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attitude to Health*
  • Bisexuality*
  • Coercion
  • Community-Based Participatory Research / ethics
  • Confidentiality / ethics
  • Disabled Persons
  • Disclosure / ethics
  • Ethics, Research*
  • Female
  • Health Personnel
  • Homosexuality*
  • Humans
  • Informed Consent / ethics
  • Intellectual Disability*
  • Male
  • Ontario
  • Personal Autonomy
  • Professional Role*
  • Research Personnel
  • Risk
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Transgender Persons*
  • Young Adult