The desire for parenthood among individuals with intellectual disabilities : systematic review.

Background: This qualitative systematic review provides an overview of existing studies on the desire for parenthood of people with intellectual disabilities. Method: The scientific studies were identified following the Prisma protocol on 18 databases using keywords relating to sexuality and parenting. Results: Sixteen studies have been included and three categories identified: the obstacles and motivations to becoming a parent; parents' decision making during pregnancy; and the social construction of a parental identity. The results from these studies show that people with intellectual disabilities have a genuine desire for children, which is repressed because of an unfavorable social context. Conclusion: Further clinical and participatory research is needed to better understand the singular modes of expression of people's intimate desires and how to better accompany them on this issue.

Representations of Sexuality among Persons with Intellectual Disability, as Perceived by Professionals in Specialized Institutions: A Systematic Review.

The objective of this systematic review is to make an inventory of the representations of the professionals of specialized institutions on the sexuality of persons with intellectual disabilities. The scientific studies were identified according to the PRISMA protocol using 18 databases, with keywords on sexuality and parenthood. Studies were reviewed through a methodological assessment and then a thematic analysis. Twenty-four studies were reviewed and three themes were identified: professionals' representations of gender, sexuality, and consent; professionals' perceptions of their role in supporting people's sexual lives; and the ways in which professionals construct representations of people's sexual lives. This corpus highlights deep paradoxes in the representations of professionals concerning the socio-affective needs and sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities, creating what we could define as a "system of incompatibility" and leading to difficulties in positioning. Support is still too random and subject to control logics in the name of protecting users, who are perceived as vulnerable. Training and new ways of teamwork appear to be central to supporting the evolution of the representations and practices of professionals. Future research anchored in practices and involving users as well as professionals is necessary to better understand the paradoxical aspects of professionals' representations and to draw alternative ways of constructing these representations.