Difficulties parents and professionals have in coping with sexual behaviors of people with mental deficiency probably result from their faulty ideas or misconceptions of the potential these people have for developing of sexuality. One implication of this type of conception is that few opportunities are promoted for listening to what young people with mental deficiency have to say about their expectations and desires of amorous relationships. The aim of this study was to uncover the perceptions of young people with Down Syndrome about amorous relationships. To this end, two women and three men with Down Syndrome between 18 and 28 years, were interviewed individually. Their reports on what it means to fall in love and what they feel for each other was related to behaviors that expressed concern for their boyfriend/girlfriend, as well as feelings of excitement and passion. As to their reports on physical attraction, emphasis was placed both on physical and behavioral aspects. One young woman stated that she had sexual relations with her boyfriend and she described in details her experience and the precautions taken. Two other interviewees considered the possibility of having sexual relations in the future, although they had been dating for some time. One young woman indicated that having sexual relations requires interdependence of the couple, as well as precautions to prevent pregnancy. These results enable us to conclude that the perceptions that young people with Down Syndrome have about amorous relationships do not differ from those of young people without the syndrome and are probably developed when given opportunities to experience relationships in circumstances that favor amorous behavior.
amorous behavior; sexuality; down syndrome; special education
