Sexuality in older women

Abstract

Objectives. To determine the prevalence of sexual relations in women ≥65 years. To determine factors that affect their activity and interest in sex. To evaluate the impact on their quality of life. Design. Descriptive, cross-sectional study by means of survey. Setting. Palacio de Segovia Health Centre, Madrid, Spain. Primary care. Participants. Women ≥65 years old. Criteria of exclusion: bed-ridden women, with psychiatric disease and/or moderate-severe cognitive deterioration. Sequential selection from 10 medical lists. Main measurements. Social and demographic, medical, geriatric (Katz and Lawton-Brody index), quality of life (WONCA sheets), variables on sexuality. Results. One hundred and sixty two women. Mean age, 74.7 (7.8). Sixty one women with a stable partner (37.7%). Thirty four maintained sexual relations (20.98%), 61.8% (21) of them with coitus: these were satisfactory for 29 women (85.3%). For 50 (30.8%), communication was the most important aspect of sexuality. The lower their age, the more sexual relations they had (P 64 years old maintain sexual relations. Factors that determine sexual activity are: self-esteem, having a partner, sexual desire, previous sexual history, and the Katz index. Sexual relations are independent of quality of life.