Sexual companionship and sexual assistance play an important role in the area of sexual health, particularly for people whose needs are often overlooked. Sexuality is still treated as a taboo subject in our society, which particularly affects people with disabilities or older people. In numerous institutions for people with disabilities, there is a lack of adequate sex education, and many sufferers have never had positive sexual experiences.
Sexual assistance promotes self-determined sexuality by providing sex education counselling, information and access to relevant materials. The focus is on ‘learning’ about sexuality and treating others with respect and consideration. Sexual assistance can effectively counteract abusive behaviour by people in need of care and by their caregivers.
‘Active assistance’ – or sexual accompaniment – goes a step further and includes sexual interactions such as cuddling, kissing, caressing, erotic massages and sexual intercourse. This service is not provided by sex educators or caregivers, but is facilitated by the use of sex workers. In contrast to conventional sex work, the focus here is on a specific clientele. The boundaries between sex work and sexual companionship are fluid, with many sex workers offering both services.