Dilana Schaafsma

Dilana Schaafsma serves as an Associate Lecturer at Fontys University of Applied Sciences, leading the research line 'Healthy Sexuality in Adulthood' since 2009. Her mission focuses on promoting sexual health for children, adolescents, and young adults while preventing unwanted experiences, with specialized attention to individuals with visual or intellectual disabilities, male caregivers, and diversity in sex education. She additionally chairs the 'Month of Fun Sex' foundation and collaborates with Special Olympics Netherlands on sexuality workshops for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

• PhD in Sexuality and Intellectual Disabilities, Maastricht University (2013)

Dr. Schaafsma's research pioneers positive sexuality approaches that center sexual pleasure and well-being rather than solely risk prevention. Her work integrates social work, psychology, and disability studies to develop inclusive sex education frameworks addressing LGBTQ+ individuals with disabilities and engaging male caregivers. She emphasizes participatory methodologies to ensure marginalized voices shape interventions, challenging traditional deficit-focused models in disability sexuality research.

Her publication portfolio reveals strong interdisciplinary convergence between clinical psychology, disability studies, and sex education. Key trends include developing tailored interventions for anger management in intellectual disabilities, exploring financial exploitation dynamics in relationships, and creating inclusive intimacy frameworks through methods like Nominal Group Technique. Her work consistently bridges academic research with practical community applications.

Through the 'Month of Fun Sex' foundation, she organizes nationwide March events celebrating positive sexuality aspects. At Special Olympics, she co-facilitates workshops translating research into actionable discussions about relationships and sexuality for athletes with intellectual disabilities, working alongside field experts to implement evidence-based practices.