Young People with Intellectual Disability and Their Experiences with Intimate Relationships: a Follow-up Analysis of Parents’ and Caregivers’ Perspectives

Background Research shows that people with intellectual disability both want and benefit from relationships. Caregivers play an important role in the development and maintenance of these relationships. Barriers to relationships include lack of privacy, inadequate sex education, and lack of public transportation. Method The sample included 42 primary caregivers of young people with intellectual disability aged 14 to 25. Interviews were evaluated with the qualitative content analysis. Results Two-thirds of the caregivers reported the young people having had at least one relationship. The caregivers tended to minimize the importance of the young people’s relationships and reported, in equal measure, both positive and negative relationship skills. Caregivers described limited choice in terms of partner selection, lack of social opportunities, and low quality couple time. Parents face the detachment process with ambivalence and wish for a stable partnership for their children in the future. Discussion Young people with intellectual disability face barriers and limitations regarding intimate relationships. Some young people may keep their partnerships secret to avoid possible restrictions from their caregivers. Their time together is quantitatively high, but qualitatively poor due to a lack of transportation and inclusive services. Caregivers need to support the young people’s autonomy and take their relationships more seriously.

Impact of demographic, clinical, and treatment compliance characteristics on quality of life of Venezuelan patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

Background We have here assessed the impact of demographic, clinical, and treatment compliance characteristics on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of Venezuelan patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We have used a disease-specific questionnaire, the Lupus Quality of Life (LupusQoL), validated in our patient population, to measure HRQoL. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 patients with SLE from outpatient clinics. Patients completed a form with demographic, clinical, and treatment compliance data, and the LupusQoL questionnaire. HRQoL was classified as better or worse according to previously established cut-off points for this patient population. Spearman’s r test was used to determine the correlations between age, years of education, disease duration, SLEDAI, and SLICC-DI with the eight domains of the LupusQoL. Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the HRQoL between the two groups of patients according to treatment compliance. Binomial logistic regression using the backward stepwise selection method was performed to identify the risk factors associated with each of the eight domains of the LupusQoL among patients with inactive (SLEDAI < 4) and active (SLEDAI ≥ 4) SLE. Results HRQoL of our patients was classified as better in all domains of the LupusQoL. Age correlated negatively with all domains of the LupusQoL, except with “burden to others”, and disease activity correlated negatively with all domains of the LupusQoL, except with “intimate relationships” and “burden to others” (p < 0.05). Patients who fully complied with indicated treatment had higher scores in “physical health” domain compared to patients who did not comply with at least one of the prescribed medications (p < 0.05). In patients with active SLE, a risk factor associated with worse “planning” and “intimate relationships” was advanced age, while having had SLE flare-ups in the previous six months was a risk factor associated with worse “physical health” (p < 0.05). Conclusion Age and disease activity were negatively correlated with almost all domains of the LupusQoL, and treatment compliance was associated with higher score in the “physical health” domain. Disease control and treatment compliance should be the main goals for a better HRQoL in our patients with SLE.

Gender Roles in Intimate Relationships: Who Initiates and Why?

The gender roles of men and women are continuously changing in heterosexual relationships alongside the ever-increasing flexibility and variation of preferences, choice, agency, and individual needs. This paper delves into the role tradition plays between men and women in intimate relationships regarding marriage proposals and surname changes, as well as which sex initiates more when it comes to physical intimacy, emotional intimacy, and long-term commitment.

Familial Experiences: The Translation in Adults' Future Romantic Relationships

This paper explores the different ways in which familial experiences can impact an adult’s future intimate relationships. There are multiple factors such as parent-child attachment styles, parenting styles, personal background (race, ethnicity, religion, culture) and gender that influence their approach and attitude towards intimate relationships. Current research suggests that positive upbringing and familial experiences positively reflect adult children’s future intimate relationships. On the contrary, unpleasant familial experiences can negatively impact one’s social competency, jeopardizing their ability to maintain and establish relationships with others. I will discuss the multidimensional factors traced from the quality of family relations and how that translates to adult children’s intimate relationships. Family serves as children’s initial sense of emotional bond, moulding their competence in various social settings and ability to establish relationships with others.

Populism in Robots

Populism has rarely been discussed in the context of robotics. This chapter will explore how intimate relationships, such as love and sex, between human and robots, will bring populism to the populist masses. Intimacy between humans and robots was first raised and discussed by David Levy in his book titled Love and Sex with Robotics published in 2007. As a result, the subject of human-robot romantic and intimate relationships rapidly developed into an academic research discipline in its own right. Since then, researchers have come up with many implementations of robot companions like sex robots, emotional robots, humanoid robots, and artificial intelligent systems that can simulate human emotions. This chapter presents a summary of significant activity in this field during the recent years, predicts how the field is likely to develop, and its ethical and legal background. They also discuss their research in physical devices for human-robot love and sex communication.

Defenders of Freedom

In the past few decades, the question of whether and how civil society should recognize committed intimate relationships between two people of the same sex has become a prominent and divisive policy issue. Marriage as an institution embodies both formal legally enforceable rules and informal arrangements. This chapter discusses the heightened lawmaking efforts after the legalization of same-sex marriage by legislators who are more inclined to use religious claims in their opposition to homosexuality and same-sex relationships.