Are girls with learning disabilities at a higher risk of getting a STD or getting pregnant?

Question

I ask cause my younger sister who is in special ed. and has a learning disability which i believe is A.D.D and a speech impairment just turned 18 and is starting to date and lately with this one guy she has been sleeping over his home w/o permission. She knows about safe s*x and std's but i was just worried becuase her hormones are out of control, should she be trusted or treated differently.

Answer 1

Your sis may be glad that someone is accepting her as she is.  In turn, think about the average 18 year old.  You get caught up in the moment and don't think so heavily about the bad things that can result from s*x.  At 18 most of us don't think of the bad things that can happen to us...you are kind of living in the moment.  Have you sat down and tried talking to her?  Since she is 18 she is legally an adult....ADD and a learning disability doesn't mean she can't make informed decisions.  One of my learning disabled students happened to have an IQ that was substantially above normal.  If you are concerned for your sis, just try talking to her.

Answer 2

Well i suggest that you speak with your doctor about that as it is medical. And they will give you all of the information about it.

Answer 3

Well, she's 18... if she is "life skilled" that is one thing, but if she is of the mind set of an 18 year old, then all you can do is teach and trust.

She is only at higher risk of pregnancy and STD if she is having unprotected s*x.

Answer 4

If she's been taught all the relevant stuff then no. Although as another poster said she may be willing to trust people a bit more. Or not always understand the situation.

If you are worried try talking to her or get a female friend of yours to talk to her. Either of you can give her a little bit off knowledge from life experience.

Answer 5

because she has learning difficulties she may trust people too easily. make sure she knows about birth control and how to look after her sexual health by always using condoms.

as her brother maybe you could discretely check out her boyfriend and make sure he isn't taking advantage of her.

maybe you should bring your mum in on this, or another appropriate adult that she gets on with.

Answer 6

She's lucky to have you, a concerned older brother!  And there is some reason for you to be concerned about your sister's degree of risk of contracting an STD or getting pregnant than for other young women of the same age-range and intelligence.

Sharing a couple ideas:  

(a)  A.D.D. is not a 'learning disability', although people with ADD/ADHD often also have a learning disability.  

(b)  Having ADD/ADHD does not indicate that a person has a less-than-average IQ.  in fact, folks with ADHD most frequently have a higher-than-average IQ, but run into difficulty academicly because ADHD gets in the way of being timely with assignments, &/or remembering to do or turn in homwork, &/or focusing and attending to lectures or tasks, &/or behaving in a way that is acceptable.  

(c)  However, anyone who has ADHD and a learning disability probably has had frustrations and maybe embarassments confronts him/her thru K-12th grades ... feeling 'different', struggling with certain learning that others appear to master more easily, and often having some areas of social and/or behavioral difficulties.  The result usually is a self-esteem that is lower than that person objectively deserves to have about themselves.

(d)  Therefore, the combination of lower self esteem and likely greater impulsivity of ADHD may result in a higher possiblity of getting into trouble ... breaking household rules, conflict with school expectations, trying to please peer in order to be liked, and perhaps less careful sexual behaviors.

Maybe your sharing your concern with Sis and letting her read the responses your questions generates may be of assistance in prevention of both negative consequences.

Answer 7

You just make sure she knows how to protect herself, she like any other 18 year olds when they fall in love.

Answer 8

i dont know the answer to your question, but i think you are a really sweet brother who cares about his sister!

kudos to you!

aww im still in that like "isnt he sweet mode"