Sex & Brain Injury: Staff Conversation Guide for 4 Different Patient Scenarios
I got the idea for this handout when I was conducting a 10 hour training for an interdisciplinary Brain Injury Unit team. The training was focused on interventions and considerations for sex and relationships for people with brain injury. The team asked a LOT of questions about how to respond to sexually relevant comments and questions. There were a lot of “well what about this scenario…?” and “what if this happens…?” I developed this sex-positive, client centered, and Rancho Los Amigos Level - relevant conversation guide to help the team have a clear understanding of what to do in different situations.
So of course, I had to share a version with you all. Here you go! Print it out and share it with your team.
People who experience traumatic brain injury will have questions and concerns about their sexual health. They can experience major changes in sexual desire, arousal, and response that can often go unaddressed in healthcare settings where clinicians are lack training on addressing sexual health concerns. Additionally, brain injury can cause disinhibition, agitation, and lack of context awareness and social norms. This can lead people who are recovering from brain injury to say and do things that are disruptive or perceived by staff as sexually “inappropriate”.
The guide demonstrates how to respond to four different sexually relevant scenarios. Each response is viewed in the context of what Rancho Los Amigos Level the patient is exhibiting.
1. Sexual harassment
2. Patient engaging in sexual activity
3. Sexual flirtation
4. Questions related to sex