Further Information: Equality and Diversity
Disability
Disability Etiquette — Tips On Interacting With People With Disabilities http://www.unitedspinal.org/pdf/DisabilityEtiquette.pdf
Playing with Disabilities — how some people with impairments use them in their BDSM play Angela Stassinopoulos & Robert Rubel Eds, 2007, pub Power Exchange Books
What we think – good ways on how to consult with people with learning difficulties http://peoplefirstltd.com/what-we-do/publications/
Principles of safeguarding and protection — for learning disability workers by Simon Bickerton, identifies different types of abuse and the possible signs and symptoms that might indicate that abuse has occurred, and explores why people with a learning disability might be more vulnerable to abuse and what you must do if abuse is suspected or alleged http://www.bild.org.uk/our-services/books/good-support/principles-of-safeguarding-and-protection
Supporting Disabled People with their Sexual Lives by Tuppy Owens with Claire de Than published by Jessica Kingsley 2015 – gives advice on giving all disabled people freedom to enjoy the sex and intimacy they want with good sex education and freedom to make mistakes.
Older age
Sexuality in older age: essential considerations for healthcare professionals Abi Taylor & Margot A. Gosney, 2013, Age and Ageing, 42, 2 http://ageing.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2011/07/19/ageing.afr049.full
Sexuality and dementia Alzheimer Scotland Information Sheet IS28 downloadable from: http://www.alzscot.org/pages/info/sexuality.htm
Race and religion
Why Don’t Healthcare Professionals Talk About Sex? A Systematic Review of Recent Qualitative Studies Kerry Dyer & Roshan das Nair, 2012, Journal of Sexual Medicine http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1743-6109.2012.02856.x/abstract
The paper above showed that health professionals in Britain are less likely to initiate discussions around sex with older people and black people.
There is no nice neat categorization of humanity into the many races and their differences are sometimes determined by DNA, but much of the differences are not.
Any race may be part of your client or patient group and you cannot always identify them by the colour of their skin, as a white “anglo-saxon” brother can have a black “african” sister by the same parents — and both could have been be brought up within an asian tradition. You cannot tell. Treat everybody the same.
Equally, you may need to take care if a client belongs to a religion where they are taught that talking about sex is wrong. All you need to do is add a prelude to what you want to say: something along the lines of, “I think it is really important to discuss the possibilities of your experiencing sexual problems with this condition. Do I have your permission to continue with this? Or do you want to go away and think about it, or perhaps discuss it with others? Or shall I leave you to sort this difficulty out for yourself?”.
To avoid the subject altogether, and not invite a client to discuss sexual issues is bad practice.
It goes without saying that to refuse to treat a client or patient because of their religion is illegal. There have been rumours that Islamic doctors were refusing Jewish patients on their lists, but hopefully this never happens.
Sexual diversity
There is no word for it, Laura Bridgeman & Serge Nicholson, 2012, pub Hotpencil Press. Testimonies revealing what it’s like to be transgenered, deal with people, go though transition, start new relationships and enjoy sex
Sexual orientation
Intersectionality, Sexuality and Psychological Therapies: Working with Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Diversity Roshan das Nair & Catherine Butler Eds, 2012 http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0470974990.html
Sexual preference
When Someone You Love is Kinky Dossie Easton & Catherine A. Liszt, 2000, pub Greenery Press. A book about bridging a huge gulf in perception.