View the 2020 STD Prevention Conference hosted by the Center for Disease Control

Age

Our intended health disparity is age because the primary source of the discrimination against the elderly population is that they are perceived to be too old to engage in sexual activity and are assumed celibate when data shows that is not the case at all.

Data taken from the National Poll on Healthy Aging performed by the University of Michigan indicates that nearly 50 percent of elderly adults ages 65-70 professed to engaging in sexual relations. Additionally, conclusions drawn from the poll indicate that the need and intrest for sexual intimacy is not confined by age (Lardieri, 2018).

False Assumptions about the Elderly

Older adults are not sexually active

Older adults do not share many of the same behavioral risk factors as younger adults.

The elderly population is more knowledgeable about STDs (particularly HIV), their risk factors, and how to prevent/avoid them than younger adults are.

Older adults are unable to have sex because their bodies are too old or sick.

(Sexuality & Aging: Debunking the myths)

Impact

The importance of sexuality in adults 55 years and older is overlooked by clinicians who do not ask about sexual health with their older patients for fear of embarrassing or offending them; others think that patients will bring up the subject themselves if they have questions or concerns which is not best practice. Healthcare providers need to proactive not reactive in the care that they give towards the elderly population since they are more at risk for having secondary complications and less likely to seek help due to fear of judgement or poor healthcare (Fitzpatrick, A. L., Powe, N. R., Cooper, L. S., Ives, D. G., & Robbins, J. A.).

Cultural Competence

In order to combat these prejudices, our organization has identified three key points that healthcare providers can utilize when interacting with the elderly population:

Promoting a culture of exploring the sexual health of the elderly patient at every annual physical examination. This includes encouraging the healthcare provider to be receptive in asking the elderly patient about their sexual history.
Acknowledging that elderly patients continue to have sexual relations and thus need to to be up-to-date about the differing STDs infecting the elderly and appropriate treatements. This includes involving the elderly population in conversations at forums and pertinent public events concerning STD transmission, ways to prevent transmission, and what to anticipate should they be positive for an STD.
Educating about the importance of approptiate condom usage in every sexual encounter and not assuming that the elderly population is knowledgeable about safe sex practices. This includes obtaining the elderly patient's baseline understanding of safe sex practices and appropriately educating at the level the elderly patients requires.

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