Sexual Surrogate Partner Therapy: Legal and Ethical Issues: This paper is a revised version of the talk delivered to the Tasmanian branch of ANZAPPL in Hobart on 7 September 2013.

Abstract

The Ben Lewin film The Sessions has drawn attention again to the potential role for sexual surrogate partners and sex workers in enabling persons with disabilities and impairments to give expression to their sexual needs and desires. Howeveraway from the big screenthe ethics of registered health practitioners in themselves engaging in such therapies are highly problematic. Difficult too is the role of such practitioners in being 'the therapist' responsible for enabling or brokering sexual contact between their patients and those offering such services for financial reward. In some jurisdictionsarrangements involving sexual surrogate therapy (especially where the therapist benefits from it fi..