Arts 3MT winner tackles questions of sexual consent among people with dementia | Arts

"By 2030, 75 million people will be diagnosed with dementia worldwide. Many of them will be sexually active. But how can they consent to sex?

That is the key question Andria Bianchi is examining for her PhD dissertation in Philosophy. Through her research, which included placements at two Toronto hospitals as part of the department’s new Applied Philosophy PhD program, she learned that many clinicians and caregivers were unsure how to handle the issue of consent for those with dementia and were uncomfortable discussing the topic. A few institutions have policies in place about sex and sexual consent, but most do not. Sometimes, the police are called...."