Strategies for Incorporating Women-Specific Sexuality Education into Addiction Treatment Models

Abstract

This paper advocates for the incorporation of a women-specific sexuality curriculum in the addiction treatment process to aid in sexual healing and provide for aftercare issues. Sexuality in addiction treatment modalities is often approached from a sex-negative stance, or that of sexual victimization. Sexual issues are viewed as addictive in and of themselves or as trauma/abuse experiences that are gender-specific in nature. Lacking in treatment modalities is a sexuality curriculum for women or men that address sexuality as a necessary and normal part of life and integral to the recovery process. This paper proposes a rationale for treatment modalities to consider when integrating women-specific sexuality curriculum into current addiction programs.

Key Words:

• Sexuality
• addiction treatment modalities
• alcohol and other drug (AOD)
• sexual health
• physical and sexual abuse
• sexual dysfunction
• sobriety
• recovery