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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.

Zusammenfassung. Fragestellung: Psychische Belastung und traumatisierende Ereignisse bei in Deutschland lebenden unbegleiteten minderjährigen Flüchtlingen (UMF) im Jugendalter sowie bei begleiteten minderjährigen Flüchtlingen (BMF) im Kindes- und Jugendalter wurden ermittelt. Zusätzlich wurden bei den Jugendlichen Prädiktoren psychischer Belastung analysiert. Methodik: 170 Kinder und Jugendliche (Jugendliche: n = 56 UMF, n = 72 BMF; Kinder: n = 42 BMF) wurden mittels Screeningfragebögen zu emotionalen und Verhaltensauffälligkeiten sowie zu traumatisierenden Ereignissen untersucht. Zudem wurden von den Jugendlichen Angaben zur Symptomatik der Posttraumatischen Belastungsstörung (PTBS) gemacht (Jugendliche: Selbstbericht; Kinder: Fremdbericht Elternteil). Ergebnisse: 45.8 % UMF (Jugendliche), 42.4 % BMF (Jugendliche) und 56.1 % BMF (Kinder) zeigten klinisch relevante emotionale und Verhaltensprobleme. Internalisierende Symptome wurden häufiger als externalisierende Symptome angegeben. Im Mittel wurden bei UMF (Jugendliche) sieben und bei BMF (Jugendliche und Kinder) vier traumatisierende Ereignisse ermittelt. UMF (Jugendliche) berichteten mehr emotionale Probleme, mehr PTBS-Symptome und mehr traumatisierende Ereignisse als BMF (Jugendliche). 43.8 % UMF (Jugendliche) und 27.9 % BMF (Jugendliche) zeigten klinisch relevante PTBS-Symptome. Der robusteste Prädiktor zur Vorhersage emotionaler und Verhaltensauffälligkeiten sowie der PTBS-Symptomatik bei den Jugendlichen war die Anzahl traumatisierender Ereignisse. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse belegen den psychologischen Hilfebedarf geflüchteter Kinder und Jugendlicher in Deutschland.

Background Research shows that caregivers support but also impede people with intellectual disabilities from developing intimate relationships. People with intellectual disability experience coital sex later and less often compared to adolescents without disabilities. Caregivers often request hormonal contraception from gynecologists on their behalf. Their main motives are pregnancy avoidance (either as a result of consensual sex or sexual abuse) and menstrual suppression. Method The sample included 42 primary caregivers of young people with intellectual disability aged 14 to 25. Interviews were evaluated with qualitative content analysis. Results Nine of the main caregivers assumed that sexual intercourse had taken place. Half of the carers evaluated the importance of sexuality for the young people with intellectual disability as high. The main reason for seeing a gynecologist was the prescription of hormonal contraceptives; the outcome of which was arbitrary and dependent on the individual gynecologist. The majority of young women took general hormonal contraceptives as a preventive measure or due to heavy bleeding, regardless of sexual activity. One-fifth took hormone depots as a form of long-term contraception. Discussion A trusting relationship with the gynecologist favored the compliance and well-being of the young women. The administration of hormonal contraceptives seems to be controlled by third parties. Caregivers used hormonal contraceptives to simplify the regulation of menstruation and felt relieved by it. Carers view the sexual activities of the young women more critically because they fear a pregnancy and the responsibility for a potential grandchild. The use of hormonal contraceptives made carers clearly more tolerant of sexual activity.

Background Research shows that caregivers support but also impede people with intellectual disabilities from developing intimate relationships. People with intellectual disability experience coital sex later and less often compared to adolescents without disabilities. Caregivers often request hormonal contraception from gynecologists on their behalf. Their main motives are pregnancy avoidance (either as a result of consensual sex or sexual abuse) and menstrual suppression. Method The sample included 42 primary caregivers of young people with intellectual disability aged 14 to 25. Interviews were evaluated with qualitative content analysis. Results Nine of the main caregivers assumed that sexual intercourse had taken place. Half of the carers evaluated the importance of sexuality for the young people with intellectual disability as high. The main reason for seeing a gynecologist was the prescription of hormonal contraceptives; the outcome of which was arbitrary and dependent on the individual gynecologist. The majority of young women took general hormonal contraceptives as a preventive measure or due to heavy bleeding, regardless of sexual activity. One-fifth took hormone depots as a form of long-term contraception. Discussion A trusting relationship with the gynecologist favored the compliance and well-being of the young women. The administration of hormonal contraceptives seems to be controlled by third parties. Caregivers used hormonal contraceptives to simplify the regulation of menstruation and felt relieved by it. Carers view the sexual activities of the young women more critically because they fear a pregnancy and the responsibility for a potential grandchild. The use of hormonal contraceptives made carers clearly more tolerant of sexual activity.