Exploring sexual behaviors and health communication among older women

Caroline D. BergeronBexar County Community Health Collaborative, San Antonio, Texas, USACorrespondence[email protected]

Heather Honoré GoltzSocial Work Program, University of Houston-Downtown, Houston, Texas, USA;Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

Leigh E. SzucsDepartment of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

Jovanni V. ReyesDepartment of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

Kelly L. WilsonDepartment of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

Marcia G. OryDepartment of Social and Behavioral Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA

Matthew Lee SmithDepartment of Social and Behavioral Health, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA;Institute of Gerontology, Department of Health Promotion and Behavior, College of Public Health, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA

show all

ABSTRACT

Older women around the globe are generally depicted as asexual beings, which may impact patient-provider discussions about sex. We examined data on 703 aging women in the United States to compare factors associated with women perceiving sex as important and women discussing sex with their physicians since turning 50. While 65.1% of participants perceived sex to be important, only 23.8% discussed sex with their providers since turning 50. Factors related to discussing sex included age, education, having a chronic condition, and consuming alcohol. Provider training and tools about sexual health communication could help launch those discussions about sex and increase advocacy for older women's sexual health.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Order Reprints Request Corporate Permissions

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

Request Academic Permissions

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.

Exploring sexual behaviors and health communication among older women

Information for

Open access

Opportunities

Help and information

Exploring sexual behaviors and health communication among older women

ABSTRACT

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Academic Permissions

Related research

To cite this article:

Download citation

Information for

Open access

Opportunities

Help and information

Keep up to date

Your download is now in progress and you may close this window

Login or register to access this feature