Addressing Sexuality After SCI and BI: Insights from Avery LaFleur

Craig’s expertise in neurorehabilitation extends to sexual health and sexual function, among many areas often overlooked in traditional care.

Discussing your sexual health can be uncomfortable at any stage of life. Although widely considered a taboo subject, sexual health is one of the most popularly searched entries on medical websites, including craighospital.org. For those living with spinal cord injuries (SCI) and brain injuries (BI), questions abound regarding sexual health and sexual function.

Avery LaFleur has been working with SCI and BI patients to answer many of these questions during his 20 years as a clinical care manager (CCM) at Craig Hospital. In addition to his work as a CCM, Avery meets with patients who want to understand how they can maintain physical intimacy and family plan while living with SCI and BI. He also provides education to new nursing hires and student nurses as they complete their rotations for nursing school.

Through his dedication and collaboration with disciplines across the hospital, such as Craig’s patient education department and outpatient fertility specialist, Avery works to ensure patients have access to important knowledge that empowers them to live independently following their time at Craig.

“Patients are human and, therefore, they are sexual,” Avery says. “They identify with who they were prior to their injuries because they’re the same person. It can be difficult to talk about yourself sexually, but these are conversations that patients want to have. What I do is a way to open doors for patients to talk about these things in a way that is non-intrusive.”

Sexual health is a fundamental aspect of overall well-being and one of the brand pillars for the World Association for Sexual Health, which promotes inclusivity across diverse populations – including individuals with disabilities. Avery advocates for this through his work with Craig patients and in the greater SCI and BI communities as a member of the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) and a regular speaker at conferences and other facilities.

“It’s important to create comfortability in talking about sexual health,” Avery says. “People can be afraid they’re going to say the wrong thing and not be sure of themselves. Meeting with me is not anything formal. My goal is to give patients knowledge they need to live better.”

Avery is an expert in sexual health but describes himself as a student as well – and most of his knowledge has come from his patients.

“That’s 25 years’ worth of patients and families who have come back and told their stories with me,” Avery says. “They’ve been vulnerable enough to tell their stories so that I can understand them and pass some of that knowledge on to other patients. It’s rewarding to see that.”

Craig’s expertise in neurorehabilitation extends to sexual health and sexual function, among many areas often overlooked in traditional care. Information about sexual health and sexual function for individuals living with SCI and BI can be found in the Craig Resource Library.