Life experiences of married women with physical disabilities concerning sexuality and sexual health: A grounded theory study

Aim and Background: Life experiences of women with different disabilities concerning sexuality and sexual health are involved in a paradox that is ignored, unmet and disregarded in the entire world. The aim of the study is to determine the life experiences of married women with physical disabilities concerning sexuality and sexual health with grounded theory method and develop a theory revealing the concepts and processes that affect these experiences with an explanatory framework. Methods: The study was implemented with grounded theory design and method. The data were collected and analyzed by performing profound interviews with 12 visually impaired women and 13 women with orthopedic disabilities and recording the data, taking notes with observation, taking analytic notes (mnemonic notes), using secondary data sources and continuous comparison method until attaining a satisfaction and using analysis stages (open, axial and selective coding) of the grounded theory synchronously with analysis stage of the data. The data were formed by performing individual semi-structured profound interviews that were recorded in 15 months in 2016-2018. Findings: Focus categories defining the life experiences of married women with physical disabilities concerning sexuality and sexual health were determined as; "Social Perception", "Immediate Environmental Perception", "Familial Perception", "Partner Perception" and "Disabled Individual Perception" , "Coping Mechanisms" and "Solution Offers". Focus categories were under the influence of the categories of; disability, sexuality, disabled sexuality, marriage and starting a family, intention of having a child and were explained accordingly. Conclusion: Every stage of the grounded theory is affected by the characteristics of married women with physical disabilities, relationship of their life experiences concerning sexuality and sexual health with each other, contextual and comparative factors, as well as a complex structure that varies according to time and experience. Keywords: Disability; disabled person; sexuality; sexual health; nursing; grounded theory.