I understand that when people can’t (for whatever reason) take care of themselves, their caretakers have to feed them, bathe them, change them, wipe their butts, etc. In the case of professional caretakers, are they either legally obliged or prevented from taking care of their clients’ sexual needs?
I’m going to guess not, but does that mean that clients who aren’t otherwise intimate with someone would go years… or perhaps the rest of their lives… without any sexual release?
Get to. Not have to. Think positive.
What a gr8 question! Sexual activity has proven cardiovascular benefit, as well as a general good feeling, endorphin release, and just plain feels good. Of course it’s more fun with a partner (in my personal experience), but I’ve never ‘serviced’ a disabled woman (closest I came was one with a bad back & another with a sprained ankle 
). I guess they have limited choice for partners but I’m sure there must be some kind of specialized healthcare worker out there who can provide release. Especially in men, there is real danger in lack of release: Cecil covered this syndrome of ‘priests disease’ here:
Basically, backed-up semen can infect the prostate causing prostatitis. it’s accepted that men who regularly ‘clean the pipes’ suffer lower incidences of prostate issues. Dunno the data on women, but in general, having sexual release is healthier than not having it.
Sorry I can’t provide a definite answer. Based on other life experiences, my instinct tells me that if some1 can think of the question, there are people out there to provide a service (even legally). Every once in a while, some1 asks a question that makes me stop on a dime, & ponder. Damn good question.
Every time I’ve been in a hospital and under a nurse’s care (I’m not disabled or paralyzed), I’ve had a catheter jammed up into my penis, so I never got to pursue the whole “sexy nurse” fantasy. (Korea has very beautiful nurses, BTW, and very gnarly catheters.)
Isn’t this related to all the moving around that’s a typical part of sex between able-bodied people, as opposed to the relatively minor increase in blood flow related to arousal? if that’s the case, would there be any significant CV benefit for sexual activity in a person who has limited or zero movement?
I’m pretty sure I could lose my license for that.
But I do wonder if they ever need to assist for sperm collection or testing of seminal fluid or something. My guess is a gloved finger up the rectum to stimulate the prostate would be the more professional technique, not an actual hand job.
There are sex therapists, and some of them do engage in sexual activity with their clients, or they employ sex surrogates, but I’m not sure how legitimately they’re viewed by, say, a nursing home or rehab center. I’m almost certain Medicare won’t pay for it, even if you had a referral.
I also don’t know how they stay on the legal side of prostitution laws.
More on sex therapists from a really weird message board: Do Sex Therapists Have Sex With You? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board
I would think that a guy would have enough wet dreams to keep the pipes clean.
I’ve seen a video (on youtube!) of a nurse mastrubating a disabled person, but I’m sure not going to search for it right now.
Truly universal healthcare?
Nope. Last time I had one of those was years ago.
It’s not masturbation if someone else does it to or “for” you.
I’m pretty sure it would be a crime everywhere in the US except certain place in Nevada.
But you probably are sexually active or you do masturbate (does masturbation counts as sexually active? I guess not, but it probably might depend on context…).
This is one of the biggest reasons I think prostitution should be legal (and safe and all that). Not that I’m saying every paralyzed person will be ordering hookers by the truckload, but why shouldn’t they be able to if they want to?
Sometimes I’m happy to see that someone is in the same handbasket as me.
Are wet dreams something that only happen if a man is not sexually active (and here I mean “sexually active” in that the hardware gets a workout once in a while, with or without the help of another person)?
Would it be legal if they got unpaid volunteers to do it?
Yes, it would appear that sometimes pickers can be spoojers.
I guess it’s not proven but I would think that frequent ejaculation through stimulation would reduce occurrences of nocturnal emissions.
We’d just be encouraging lazy people to become paralyzed.
Caregivers have gone to jail for such things. In a nursing home it would be considered abuse.