Sexual behaviour and health in older adults

Citation

Lameky, V.Y. (2024), "Sexual behaviour and health in older adults", The Journal of Adult Protection, Vol. 26 No. 3, pp. 154-156. https://doi.org/10.1108/JAP-06-2024-091

An older adult is someone who has reached the age of 60 years and over (World Health Organization, 2015), and sexuality is the most important aspect related to health and well-being but is influenced by health, physical, psychological and social factors (Freak‐Poli, 2020). Living a good life until old usually requires medical, social and political support. Lee Smith is a Physical Activity and Public Health Professor at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, England. Smith has a background and credentials in physical activity, public health and geriatrics and has contributed to numerous research publications. Igor Grabovac is a researcher and lecturer at the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Austria. Grabovac has a background and credentials in social medicine, preventive, public health and geriatrics and has contributed to various research publications.

Innovative steps that need to be implemented to address sexual abuse and health in the elderly include comprehensive sexuality education (preventing sexually transmitted infections [STIs] and unwanted pregnancies and promoting positive sexuality); open and safe discussions (such as active listening, giving advice and providing holistic and multidisciplinary medical services); advocacy and policy changes (such as victims getting help from health and legal service providers); research (such as preventing STIs, harmful lifestyles and barriers to sexual activity in the elderly); and development of sexual health programs (such as promoting sexual culture and how to handle sexuality issues appropriately). The target readers of this book are students (in the health, social and political fields), practitioners, academics, researchers and health professionals (including geriatricians, residents and specialists).

The novelty of this book is a comprehensive exploration of sexual behavior and health in the elderly (such as levels and trends of sexual activity, benefits of sexual activity for physical and mental health, the impact of harmful sexual activity on health, barriers to sexual activity and sexual promotion). The book also discusses the aging population, booming aging with age and geriatric frailty syndromes. In addition, this book also discusses the unique challenges older adults face with sexual and gender diversity.

This book consists of 13 chapters. Each chapter contains information and empirical data (such as chronology, case studies and research results) about sexual behavior and health in the elderly. A balance of subject matter and book-length is achieved. Each discussion is concise and clear to enrich knowledge. This book presents research results in ten countries (such as England, the USA, Finland, India, Cuba, Mexico, Norway, Denmark, Belgium and Portugal) that sexual activity decreases with age and men are more sexually active than women. It discusses the benefits of sexual involvement on physical health for the elderly. Increasing the impact of sexual activity is associated with reduced cardiovascular events, prostate and breast cancer risk and quality of life. Sexual well-being and enjoyment increase with sexual activity.

On the contrary, older adults with feelings of melancholy and anxiety cause sexual problems. Another positive impact of sexual activity on psychosocial well-being is more romantic relationships with partners, feelings of belonging and vitality. The authors emphasize intervention programs (e.g. health education, counseling guidance and physical therapy) to increase sexual activity and overcome barriers to maintaining the mental health and welfare of the elderly.

The book emphasizes that older LGBTQ+ adults face unique challenges (e.g. societal stigma, discrimination and lack of understanding or acceptance from health-care providers). These challenges lead to increasingly poor sexual health and low levels of sexual satisfaction. The authors call for intervention programs tailored to the needs of older LGBTQ+ adults, such as sensitivity training (reducing stigma discrimination and improving the quality of health services), support groups (sharing experiences, providing mutual support, reducing feelings of isolation and discussing sexual health) and health education (safe sex practices). Increases the risk of STIs, such as condom use.

The book emphasizes that sexual practices continue to change throughout life and impact health (e.g. sexual relations are positively associated with happiness at the end of life and a better quality of life). Discusses the impact of drug use on sexual activity in the elderly (such as causing sexual dysfunction or increasing sexual function) and barriers to sexual activity in the elderly (such as lack of social policies, partner availability, health-related conditions and psychological factors). Emphasizes that factors such as lifestyle, regular physical activity, healthy diet, moderate alcohol consumption and nonsmoking are associated with good sexual health and function in the elderly. Emphasizing the importance of knowledge, attitudes and prevention of the sexual needs of older people. Emphasizing that as the world's population ages, older people are becoming the fastest-growing subpopulation, creating new challenges for policymakers and health systems. The authors suggest that future research and practice should focus on preventing STIs, understanding the experiences of older adults and promoting positive views of sexuality in older adults.

The implications of this book are for health professionals and policymakers. Health professionals provide comprehensive information regarding the sexual behavior and health of older adults, emphasizing the need for open and safe discussions regarding sexual needs and developing sexual health programs that encourage empowering lifestyles. The book also highlights the importance of comprehensive sexuality education that is age-appropriate and culturally sensitive. For policymakers, there needs to be a lot of advocacy efforts and policy changes to reflect the needs of seniors and ensure they get help from health-care providers. In addition, this book has implications for the training of future health workers and suggests that the sexual health of the elderly should be included as a central topic in the education curriculum.

This book has several main characteristics and advantages: comprehensive coverage and practical orientation (such as presenting current knowledge about the primary diseases encountered in older people and discussing all aspects of management, including diagnostic and therapeutic approaches). Covers various topics, including the aging population, successful aging, changes with age, and geriatric frailty syndromes. It also addresses the unique challenges faced by sexually and gender-diverse seniors.