Sexuality, vulnerability and social work

Our Research

With a particular focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), we demonstrate how issues of sexuality, body, gender and power are central, yet often overlooked, dimensions of social work. Our research includes, among other things, studies on transactional sex and on sexuality and substance use, with a particular focus on social interventions and legal measures. Furthermore, we examine non-normative sexualities and sexual risk and vulnerability through studies of people’s experiences of sexual violence, young people in institutional care, and the health and living conditions of LGBTQ+ individuals.

This includes research on particularly vulnerable life situations, such as those affecting people with disabilities, young LGBTQ+ individuals with migration experiences, and people living with trauma, substance use, or mental ill-health.

In addition, several studies explore sexuality in relation to migration, with a particular focus on the relationship between, on the one hand, overarching normative systems (such as policy frameworks and legislation) and welfare interventions, and on the other hand, individuals’ lived experiences and needs. By examining and analysing different expressions of sexuality at structural, institutional and individual levels, our research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of how sexual and reproductive health and rights can be integrated into social work practice.