Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-v5vhk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-07T05:41:44.020Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 45 - Geriatric sexuality

from Section IV - Principles of care for the elderly

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2016

By
Lisa Granville
Edited by
Jan Busby-Whitehead ,
Christine Arenson ,
Samuel C. Durso ,
Daniel Swagerty ,
Laura Mosqueda ,
Maria Fiatarone Singh  and
William Reichel
Jan Busby-Whitehead
Affiliation:
University of North Carolina
Christine Arenson
Affiliation:
Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia
Samuel C. Durso
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Daniel Swagerty
Affiliation:
University of Kansas
Laura Mosqueda
Affiliation:
University of Southern California
Maria Fiatarone Singh
Affiliation:
University of Sydney
William Reichel
Affiliation:
Georgetown University, Washington DC
Get access

Summary

Sexuality is an important part of health and quality of life at all ages. Misinformation and misperceptions about sexuality and older adults are held by both patients and clinicians. Failure to adequately address sexuality and diagnose and treat sexual problems can have significant consequences, including depression, social withdrawal, and increased risk for sexually transmitted infections. The physiological changes with age alone are insufficient cause to cease sexual activity, and for some these changes are felt to enhance their sexual activity. Medical conditions and their treatments may negatively alter one’s perception of body image, create preoccupation with concern about exacerbation of symptoms, reduce exercise tolerance, and limit flexibility and positions of comfort. Patients desire informed health care providers who openly discuss sexuality and offer a variety of management approaches.
Type
Chapter
Information
Reichel's Care of the Elderly
Clinical Aspects of Aging
 , pp. 630 - 639
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2016

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brogan, M. The sexual needs of elderly people: addressing the issue. Nursing Standard 1996; 10:42–45.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bytheway, B. Ageism. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press, 1995.Google Scholar
Nicolosi, A, Moreira, ED Jr, Villa, M, Glasser, DB. A population study of the association between sexual function, sexual satisfaction and depressive symptoms in men. J Affect Disord 2004; 82:235–43.Google Scholar
Finger, WW, Lund, M, Slagle, MA. Medications that may contribute to sexual disorders: a guide to assessment and treatment in family practice. J Fam Pract 1997; 44:33–43.Google Scholar
Milaszewski, D, Greto, E, Klochkov, T, Fuller-Thompson, E. A systematic review of education for the prevention of HIV/AIDS among older adults. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work 2012; 9(3):213–30.Google Scholar
DeLameter, J. Sexual expression in later life: a review and synthesis. Journal of Sex Research 2012; 49(2–3):125–41.Google Scholar
American Association of Retired Persons. Sex, Romance and Relationships: AARP Survey of Midlife and Older Adults (Pub. No. D19234). Washington DC: AARP; 2010.Google Scholar
Herbenick, D, Reece, M, Schick, V, et al. Sexual behavior in the United States: results from a national probability sample of men and women ages 14–94. J Sex Med 2010; 7 (suppl 5):255–65.Google Scholar
Lindau, ST, Schumm, LP, Laumann, EO, et al. A study of sexuality and health among older adults in the United States. N Engl J Med 2014; 357:762–74.Google Scholar
Weinstein, S, Rosen, E. Senior adult sexuality in age segregated and age integrated communities. Int J Aging Hum Devel 1988; 27:261–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gott, M, Hinchcliff, S. How important is sex in later life? The views of older people. Social Science and Medicine 2003; 56:1617–28.Google Scholar
IOM (Institute of Medicine). The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2011.Google Scholar
MetLife. Still Out, Still Aging: The MetLife Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Baby Boomers. Westport, CT: MetLife Mature Market Institute; 2010.Google Scholar
Ginsberg, TB, Pomerantz, SC, Kramer-Feeley, V. Sexuality in older adults: behaviours and preferences. Age and Ageing 2005; 34:475–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Avis, NE. Sexual functioning and aging in men and women: community and population-based studies. Journal of Gender-Specific Medicine 2000; 2(2):37–41.Google Scholar
Swabo, P. Counseling about sexuality in the older person. Clin Geriatr Med 2003; 19:595–604.Google Scholar
Gott, M, Hinchcliff, S. Barriers to seeking treatment for sexual problems in primary care: a qualitative study with older people. Family Practice 2003; 20(6):690–95.Google Scholar
Bhasin, S, Basson, R. Sexual dysfunction in men and women. In Melmed, S, Polonsky, K, Larsen, P, Kronenberg, H. (eds.) Williams Textbook of Endocrinology, 12th edition. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders, 2011.Google Scholar
Sungur, MZ, Gunduz, A. A comparison of DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5 definitions for sexual dysfunctions: critiques and challenges. J Sex Med 2014; 11:364–73.Google Scholar
Masters, WH, Johnson, VE. Human Sexual Response. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co; 1966.Google Scholar
Poynten, IM, Grulich, AE, Templeton, DJ. Sexually transmitted infections in older populations. Curr Opin Infect Dis 2013; 26:80–85.Google Scholar
High, KP, Brennan-Ing, M, Clifford, DB, et al. HIV and aging: state of knowledge and areas of critical need for research: a report to the NIH Office of AIDS Research by the HIV and Aging Working Group. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2012; 60:S1–S18.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Karpiak, SE, Shipley, RA, Cantor, MH. Research on Older Adults with HIV. New York: AIDS Community Research of America, 2006.Google Scholar
HIV/AIDS among persons aged 50 and older, [online]. Available at www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library_factsheet_HIV_among_PersonsAged50andOlder.pdf (accessed July 13, 2014).Google Scholar
Branson, BM, Handsfield, HH, et al. Revised recommendations for HIV testing of adults, adolescents, and pregnant women in health-care settings. MMWR 2006 Sep 22; 55(RR14):1–17.Google Scholar
US Preventive Services Task Force. Screening for HIV, Topic Page [online]. Available at www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/uspshivi.htm (accessed July 13, 2014).Google Scholar
Work Group for the HIV and Aging Consensus Project. Summary report from the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and Aging Consensus Project: treatment strategies for clinicians managing older individuals with the human immunodeficiency virus. J Am Geriatr Soc 2012; 60:974–79.Google Scholar
Morley, JE, Tariq, SH. Sexuality and disease. Clin Geriatr Med 2003; 19:563–73.Google Scholar
Morales, A. Erectile dysfunction: an overview. Clin Geriatr Med 2003; 19:529–38.Google Scholar
Palacio-Cena, D, Losa-Iglesias, ME, Alvarez-Lopez, C, et al. Patients, intimate partners and family experiences of implantable cardioverter defibrillators: qualitative systematic review. J Advanced Nursing 2011; 67(12):2537–50. [PMID: 21615459]Google Scholar
Nehra, A, Jackson, G, Miner, M, et al. The Princeton III Consensus recommendations for the management of erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease. Mayo Clin Proc 2012; 87(8):766–78. [PMCID: PMC3498341]Google Scholar
Abdo, CHN. Sexuality and couple intimacy in dementia. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2013; 26:593–98.Google Scholar
Johannes, CB, Araujo, AB, Feldman, HA, et al. Incidence of erectile dysfunction in men 40 to 69 years old: longitudinal results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study. J Urol 2000; 163:460–63.Google Scholar
Tapscott, AH, Hakim, LS. Office-based management of impotence and Peyronie’s disease. Urol Clin N Am 2013; 40:521–43.Google Scholar
Heidelbaugh, JJ. Management of erectile dysfunction. Am Fam Physician 2010; 81:305–12.Google ScholarPubMed
McVary, KT. Clinical practice: erectile dysfunction. N Engl J Med 2007; 357:2472–81.Google Scholar
Mulligan, T, Reddy, S, Gulur, PV, et al. Disorders of male sexual function. Clin Geriatr Med 2003; 19:473–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×