AUTISMO E SEXUALIDADE: DESAFIOS E POTENCIALIDADES SOB A ÓTICA DE ADOLESCENTES NO ESPECTRO

Abstract

In adolescence, sexuality emerges, and stigmas are heightened, especially for adolescents with ASD. They are afflicted by the denial of autonomy and of their own bodies, facing censorship associated with assumptions of infantilization, mental incapacity, and asexuality. This study proposes a scientific discussion to investigate how adolescents with ASD experience sexuality and to provide a safe foundation for interventions that foster autonomy and social inclusion. It is a qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study, conducted in an Association of Parents of Autistic Individuals in a municipality in northern Paraná, with autistic adolescents (ages 12–18). Data were collected through semi-structured, audio-recorded interviews and analyzed using a Hermeneutic-Dialectic framework based on the theories of Gadamer and Habermas, as proposed by Minayo (2008). Four meaning units were established. A sense of detachment and projection by the participants regarding the topic was observed, along with the outsourcing of experiences as a result of stigmas and the structure of the current economic system. It was possible to understand the intersectional relationship between various forms of social discrimination, which intensify the barriers faced by individuals with ASD. References were identified for constructing the concept of sexuality for the participants and its effects, with emphasis on digital media, pornography, family, and school. Additionally, the role of the school environment emerged, revealing ideological aspects aligned with a logic of hegemony and militarization.