1️⃣ Analytical summary

An invisibility that produces violence

The study documents the situation of young disabled people in the face of discrimination and gender-based violence (GBV), and their consequences on sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR). The target audience is dual: decision-makers and advocates on one side, young disabled people themselves on the other — particularly young women and girls. The common thread is the intersection of youth / disability / gender: young disabled people are more exposed to poverty, less educated, often considered as asexual, thus deprived of sexual education and appropriate services. This invisibility directly fuels their exposure to violence, forced sterilisation and denial of care (ch. 1, p. 16-47).

Legal principles converted into levers for action

In light of this observation, the report articulates international normative frameworks and promising national practices. It details how to prevent and respond to GBV (ch. 4), guarantee SRHR — comprehensive sexual education, family planning, maternal health, HIV prevention (ch. 5) — and mobilise an inclusive civil society (ch. 6). It provides field actors with examples of transferable strategies, a rights-based framework and a strong methodological requirement: "nothing about us, without us". The final recommendations (ch. 7) focus on three areas: effective participation of young disabled people, conversion of norms into practices, end of stigma.

2️⃣ Key points of the document

1️⃣ A documented overexposure to violence — Disabled children are nearly four times more likely to be victims of violence and nearly three times more likely to experience sexual violence than their non-disabled peers; children with intellectual disabilities are about five times more exposed to maltreatment (p. 24-27). These figures are taken from third-party studies cited by the report.

2️⃣ The denial of sexual and reproductive rights — Inaccessible healthcare facilities, staff assuming that disabled people are not sexually active, lack of appropriate screening and contraception: the denial of SRHR is structural. Half of young women aged 15-19 who are sexually active in the South have an unmet need for modern contraception (p. 43).

3️⃣ Forced sterilisation and coerced abortion — A legacy of eugenics theories, forced sterilisation remains widespread despite its prohibition by the CRPD, CEDAW and CED. A study in Mexico (DRI, 2015) reports that 43% of women with intellectual disabilities surveyed have experienced abuse in the gynaecologist's office and that one in two had been referred for a sterilisation (p. 45).

4️⃣ Education excluded, HIV under-addressed — Only 5% of disabled children complete primary school, which excludes them from school-based sexual education and prevention campaigns. Yet one in seven new HIV infections occurs in adolescence, and HIV is the 2nd leading cause of mortality among adolescents worldwide (p. 46).

5️⃣ Three cross-cutting recommendations — The report brings everything back to three valid requirements for all actors: (a) inclusion and genuine participation of young people with disabilities at all stages; (b) conversion of standards into formal AND substantial equality; (c) end of stigma and discrimination (p. 262-263).

3️⃣ Action points for local actors

1️⃣ Apply the principle "nothing about us, without us" — Involve young people with disabilities and their organisations in the design, facilitation and evaluation of your actions, from diagnosis to follow-up (p. 15, 262-264). Provide reimbursement, accessibility and co-facilitation, not just a token consultation.

2️⃣ Make information and materials accessible — Systematise sign language, braille, easy-to-read formats and multiple formats in prevention and screening brochures. The report shows that communication is a major determinant of the quality of care, especially in perinatal care (p. 43-44).

3️⃣ Train teams in identification and posture — Equip professionals against the prejudice of asexuality and on the identification of violence (including institutional and disguised care). Integrate the issue of consent for daily actions (p. 25-31, 43).

4️⃣ Secure reporting and justice pathways — Map access points (helplines, support structures) and provide procedural adjustments to make access to justice effective for a disabled victim (p. 35-37).

5️⃣ Rely on proven national strategies — Reuse the multisectoral and co-constructed logic of examples described by the report (e.g. framework strategy for adolescent SRHR in South Africa, p. 179) to build a local plan: coordination, positive and non-stigmatising messages, community support networks.

6️⃣ Address contexts with increased risk — Plan adaptations for the most exposed situations: institutions, rural areas, precariousness, humanitarian crises — where the risk of GBV and denial of SRHR is highest (ch. 2, p. 53-79). Unmet needs to be documented locally: intersectional data (gender × disability × HIV) remain sparse.

4️⃣ Additional references

Verified external references (post-2024)

• HAS (12 February 2025) — Support the intimate, emotional and sexual lives of people in ESSMS (part 1 – cross-cutting foundation). Good practice recommendation establishing legal, ethical and organisational benchmarks; this is the direct French framework for transposition. has-sante.fr

• Ministry responsible for Autonomy and People with Disabilities (19 February 2026) — Action plan 2026-2027 for the intimate, emotional and sexual lives of people with disabilities and the fight against violence. Four axes and operational objectives (Handigynaecology, generalised FALC, violence prevention). handicap.gouv.fr

• Health Promotion Nouvelle-Aquitaine (March 2025) — Address the intimate, emotional and sexual lives of people with disabilities. Guidelines and operational resources for facilitation in establishments (tools, consent, EVRAS). promotion-sante-na.org (PDF)

Internal Health Practices

People with disabilities - https://www.pratiquesensante.com/5-4-personnes-en-situation-de-handicap

Sexual health - https://www.pratiquesensante.com/4-1-education-affective-sexuelle

Intimagir -  https://www.pratiquesensante.com/intimagir

5️⃣ Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

1️⃣ Who is this study primarily aimed at? — At governmental entities, United Nations agencies, rights advocates, civil society organisations and organisations of persons with disabilities (OPD), women's and youth organisations (p. 9).

2️⃣ How was the study constructed? — In-depth documentary analysis, expert consultations, semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, four field visits (Ecuador, Morocco, Mozambique, Spain) and meetings at the UNFPA headquarters — in a co-production approach with persons with disabilities (p. 10-15).

3️⃣ Why is violence more frequent against disabled youth? — Exclusion from education and employment, dependence on third parties, placement in institutions, social tolerance of "educational" violence, low reporting: all factors that increase the risk and its recurrence (p. 25-31).

4️⃣ What is meant by denial of SRHR? — Refusal to access information, contraception, screening and care, based on the prejudice that persons with disabilities are not sexually active — up to forced sterilisation and coerced abortion (p. 43-46).

5️⃣ What does international law say? — The ICCPR, the ICESCR and the CEDAW guarantee equality, non- discrimination and the right to live free from violence; they explicitly prohibit forced sterilisation (ch. 3, p. 82-113 ; p. 45).

6️⃣ What contexts require enhanced vigilance? — Humanitarian crises and fragile contexts, poverty, rural areas, high prevalence of HIV and especially institutions, where the risk of GBV and rights violations is increased (ch. 2, p. 53-68).

7️⃣ What is the first recommendation to remember? — The effective inclusion and participation of young disabled people and their organisations in the design and implementation of everything that concerns them — from law to service monitoring (p. 262-264).

6️⃣ Rewriting in Easy to Read and Understand (FALC)

What is this document about?

This document is about young people with disabilities.

It mainly talks about young women and girls.

Many young disabled people experience violence.

They are often prevented from making choices about their bodies.

The main issues

• Young disabled people experience more violence than other young people.

• It is often wrongly thought that they do not have a love life.

• So they are not given information about sexuality.

• They are often denied care.

• Sometimes, disabled women are prevented from having children. This is prohibited by law.

What the document says to help

• We must listen to young disabled people. We decide with them, not for them.

• We need to provide information that is easy to understand.

• We can use Easy to Read, the sign language or braille.

• We need to train the people who help.

• We need to protect young people from violence.

• We need to stop judging and marginalising.

7️⃣ Cross-cutting analysis — values of Health Practices

Literacy : the document advocates for accessible formats (sign language, braille, multiple formats) and makes communication a determinant of the quality of care.

Empowerment : young people with disabilities are positioned as experts of their lives and actors, not merely as beneficiaries (principle ‘nothing about us, without us’).

Participation : co- construction is integrated into the method itself (consulted OPH, discussion groups during field visits).

Community health: the collective dimension is central, through an inclusive civil society and community support networks (ch. 6).

Ethics : biases (prejudice of asexuality, eugenics legacy) are identified and explicitly deconstructed.

Human rights: the approach is rooted in conventions (CRPD, CRC, CEDAW) and the requirement for formal and substantive equality.

Intersectorality : the report recommends partnerships between State–UN–civil society–universities–private sector and multisectoral strategies.

Partnership : collaboration models are formalised, notably through national strategies led by interministerial committees.

Fight against discrimination: non-judgement, the end of stigma and the consideration of intersectional identities (gender, HIV, minorities) are explicit axes.

8️⃣ Assessment of the reliability of the resource

Scientific relevance: high in terms of documentation and standards — institutional reference source (UNFPA), provided notes, solid legal frameworks. Caveat: qualitative study from 2018; number of prevalences taken from older third-party studies (2010-2017) and not representative of all disabilities. Not to be cited as a primary source of recent numerical data.

Operational relevance: good but indirect for the French field. The principles and examples are transposable, but operational use requires going through current national systems (HAS 2025, plan 2026-2027, ESSMS framework). Particularly useful for argumentation, training and the redesign of inclusive protocols.

9️⃣ Strategic hashtags

#healthpractices #SexualHealth #Disability #GBV #HumanRights #SRHR #Inclusion #SexualEducation