“She Like, Sugarcoats Things”: Maternal Influence on Sexual (in)Agency of Young College Women With Disabilities

By amplifying the voices of young college women with intellectual and developmental disabilities, this study explores the intersections of disability, gender, sexuality, and higher education. It highlights how maternal socialization shapes their sexual knowledge prior to college, revealing that mothers often leave their daughters misinformed, disempowered, and dependent, even into adulthood. The study also addresses how persistent taboos and embodied avoidance strategies, such as euphemisms and gestures, limit these women's agency and reflect constrained communication patterns from their upbringing. The findings underscore the crucial role of mothers in their daughters' sexual self-determination and advocate for tailored resources to support both mothers and their daughters, aiming to enhance sexual autonomy and education for women with disabilities.