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. 2008 Nov 18;37(9):504–509. [Article in Spanish] doi: 10.1157/13089099

Sexualidad en las mujeres mayores

Sexuality In Older Women

Marta Fernández Hernández a,, María N Gaviria Cano a, Francisca Muñoz González a, Isabel Miguel Calvo a, Elisabeth Coll Torres b, Manuel E Fuentes Ferrer b
PMCID: PMC7669043  PMID: 16756874

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<.022; odds ratio [OR]=0.85; 0.74-0.97). Of 115 women satisfied with the relations of their youth, 28.7% maintained sexual relations now (P<.003; OR=17; 1.7-178.8). The 23.9% maintained their sexual desire, though their partners had more interest in sex (50.9%). Women with stable partners and high selfesteem had more sexual relations than those who had neither, with a significant difference in both cases (P<.001). Maintaining sexual relations is a dependent factor on the Katz index (P<.007). The 32.2% of women thought that their sex life had changed for the worse, while 30.12% (20.54+19.17) thought their sex life had not changed or had improved.

Conclusions

One of every 4 women >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.

Key words: Sexuality, Women, Elderly

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