Sextech and Physical Disability

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People with physical disability in care are often denied their sexuality, but sex technology (or sextech) may unlock a future without sex stigma and limitations. Sextech includes smart sex toys (e.g., smart vibrators), virtual sex (e.g., teledildonics, virtual reality pornography, and erotic video games), intelligent agents (e.g., romantic chatbots), and autonomous sex devices (e.g., sex robots).

Sextech and Physical Disability (SXTPD) is a research project exploring the role, ethics, and design requirements of sextech for people with physical disability in care and support contexts. It emphasises transformation, breaking stigma, empowerment, and centring lived experience, featuring extensive co-design, public engagement, and knowledge translation. Expected outcomes include new research methods co-designed with experts and people with lived experience and practical know-how about sextech design, implementation, and governance.

Funded by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council (ARC). Dr Adam Poulsen is the recipient of an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (project number DE260100240). The views expressed are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Australian Government or the ARC.

Team

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Project lead

Dr Adam Poulsen

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Coming soon!

Sextech and Physical Disability

Team

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