Objective To explore the sexual experience and needs of young and middle-aged patients recovering from incomplete spinal cord injury, and to provides reference for developing targeted guidance plans. Methods A descriptive qualitative study was used to conduct semi-structured interviews with 15 young and middle-aged patients recovering from incomplete spinal cord injuries, content analysis was conducted, with Nvivo 11 software employed for data organization and analysis. Results A total of 5 tree nodes were identified:desire for professional assessment and guidance, active avoidance, sense of crisis, expectations for social support systems, and post-traumatic growth, along with their 13 sub-nodes, and a hierarchy diagram of sexual experience was constructed. Conclusion Young and middle-aged patients with incomplete spinal cord injury exhibit complex and diverse sexual experiences during rehabilitation. Healthcare professionals should prioritize sexual health education and psychological support for these patients and establish specialized rehabilitation teams to provide comprehensive care and address patients′ sexual rehabilitation needs.