A Case for Sexual Health Policy that Includes Midlife and Older Adult Sexuality and Sexual Health

Kirkman, Linda; Fox, Christopher J.; Dickson‐Swift, Virginia

doi:10.18848/2160-1909/cgp/v06i02/17-27

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 0 publications

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“…Likewise, sexual health campaigns must strive to be inclusive of older individuals and communicate that older people are also susceptible to STIs or other sexual health‐related matters. Such work could be supported by, for example, ensuring that older Australians are explicitly addressed in sexual health policy, and we reiterate recent calls for such action here . Some participants in our study viewed sexual health as irrelevant to them, even if they were in relatively ‘high‐risk’ relationships , and this likely acts as a significant barrier to discussing sex with their HCP.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Talking to healthcare providers about sex in later life: Findings from a qualitative study with older Australian men and women

et al. 2017

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Talking to healthcare providers about sex in later life: Findings from a qualitative study with older Australian men and women

et al. 2017

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“…It is also one of the largest studies in the world specifically focused on the sexual health of older people. Currently, older people are absent in sexual health policies in Australia (Kirkman, Fox, and Dickson-Swift 2016). This is largely because STI rates are much lower among older people compared with younger generations, although rates in older populations have been rising in recent years.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The sexual health needs of older people 1 have been largely ignored in research and policymaking (Kirkman, Fox, and Dickson-Swift 2016). This is due, in part, to misconceptions that many older people are asexual or unwilling to discuss issues relating to sex (Minichiello, Plummer and Seal 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Sex, Age, and Me study: recruitment and sampling for a large mixed-methods study of sexual health and relationships in an older Australian population

Lyons

Heywood

Fileborn

et al. 2017

Culture, Health & Sexuality

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Older people are often excluded from large studies of sexual health, as it is assumed that they are not having sex or are reluctant to talk about sensitive topics and are therefore difficult to recruit. We outline the sampling and recruitment strategies from a recent study on sexual health and relationships among older people. Sex, Age and Me was a nationwide Australian study that examined sexual health, relationship patterns, safer-sex practices and STI knowledge of Australians aged 60 years and over. The study used a mixed-methods approach to establish baseline levels of knowledge and to develop deeper insights into older adult's understandings and practices relating to sexual health. Data collection took place in 2015, with 2137 participants completing a quantitative survey and 53 participating in one-on-one semi-structured interviews. As the feasibility of this type of study has been largely untested until now, we provide detailed information on the study's recruitment strategies and methods. We also compare key characteristics of our sample with national estimates to assess its degree of representativeness. This study provides evidence to challenge the assumptions that older people will not take part in sexual health-related research and details a novel and successful way to recruit participants in this area.

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“…Currently, there is little mention of sexual health in healthy ageing policies and programs, and there are no sexual health policies relating to older people in Australia and in other countries such as the United States and United Kingdom (Kirkman, Fox, & Dickson-Swift, 2016;Kirkman et al, 2013). Healthcare providers have also reported being reluctant to discuss sexual health with their older patients (Gott et al, 2004;Hinchliff & Gott, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Satisfaction Among Older Australian Heterosexual Men and Women: Findings from the Sex, Age & Me Study

Heywood

Lyons

Fileborn

et al. 2017

Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy

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This study explored sexual satisfaction in older heterosexual Australians using data from a national sample of 1,583 men and women aged 60+ who hoped or planned to have sex in the future. Data collection took place in 2015; participants were recruited using a variety of online and offline advertisements. Less than half the sample (46%) reported they were very or extremely satisfied with their sexual lives. Those who had sex more often and were more interested in sex were more likely to be satisfied, while those who wanted sex more often in the future were less likely to be satisfied, as were men who had experienced sexual difficulties. Sexual satisfaction was also associated with life satisfaction in men and positive mental health in women. Factors associated with satisfaction in this study will help guide strategies to support older people in realizing the sexual lives they desire.

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A Case for Sexual Health Policy that Includes Midlife and Older Adult Sexuality and Sexual Health

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Talking to healthcare providers about sex in later life: Findings from a qualitative study with older Australian men and women

Talking to healthcare providers about sex in later life: Findings from a qualitative study with older Australian men and women

The Sex, Age, and Me study: recruitment and sampling for a large mixed-methods study of sexual health and relationships in an older Australian population

Sexual Satisfaction Among Older Australian Heterosexual Men and Women: Findings from the Sex, Age & Me Study

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