WASHINGTON – When B.J. Jackson lost both legs below the knee to an Iraq war wound, his doctors talked about a lot of things, but they didn't mention how it might affect his sex life.
Jackson's less-bashful wife brought it up. But even then, the couple didn't get the answers they sought.
Jackson and his wife, Abby, who have had two children since he lost his legs, say it's time to get the issue out in the open, both in military medical settings and at home.
They got a lot of agreement at a conference yesterday that focused on wounded service members and intimacy with their partners.
“I think it's like the hidden secret that everyone wants to know the answer to, but are very fearful of even mentioning it,” Abby Jackson said.
About 3,000 of the U.S. personnel wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan have suffered major physical impairment, former Sen. Bob Dole said.
Dole, who lost full use of his right arm to a combat wound during World War II, said veterans who have lost a quality-of-life function, such as sexual ability, should be given quality-of-life compensation in addition to other payment.
The conference was organized by the Center of Excellence for Sexual Health at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.
