Gay Men with Learning Disabilities: UK Service Provision

SUMMARY

Whilst the UK's National Health Service (NHS) offers a solid structure of service provision for people with learning disabilities, sexuality issues are often overlooked. This paper offers an examination of how it may be possible that gay men with learning disabilities (GMLD) experience a complex set of increased difficulties in forming a functioning identity. A clinical case example is presented which allows the implications of below average functioning and stereotyping by the majority group to be explored. To conclude, suggestions are made regarding how practitioners could offer the best psychological service to gay men with learning disabilities. It is hoped practitioners will be more proactive and creative in helping gay men with learning disabilities explore their sexuality.

KEYWORDS:

• Counselling
• gay men
• homosexuality
• identity process theory
• learning difficulties
• mental health
• National Health Service
• psychological therapy
• sexual identity
• sexuality