Sexual Health Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Older Adults: An Exploratory Analysis

ABSTRACT

Objectives: A significant gap in our knowledge concerns sexual health among the older lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) population.

Methods: We compared a community-based sample of self-identified LGB older adults (n = 128) with population-based samples of behaviorally-defined LGB older adults (i.e., reporting same-sex experiences) (n = 112) and behaviorally-defined older heterosexuals (i.e., reporting no same-sex experiences) (n = 2,893) from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (NSHAP). Differences in sexual activity and sexual problems were examined.

Results: Older LGB adults were as likely to remain sexually active as older heterosexuals. Gay and bisexual men were more likely than heterosexual men to report some sexual problems. Regardless of sexual orientation, older adults rarely had their sexual health needs addressed in healthcare settings.

Conclusions: Results highlight the need for more research on LGB older adult sexual health.

Clinical Implications: The lack of attention to LGB older adults’ sexual health in healthcare settings may be exacerbated by ageism and heterosexism, leading these individuals to avoid disclosing their sexual orientations and avoid conversations about sexuality. Mental health practitioners require education on associations between sexual health and mental health, and how sexual health problems may contribute to mental health concerns in vulnerable populations like older LGB adults.

KEYWORDS:

• Aging
• lesbian
• gay
• bisexual
• sexual activity
• sexual health
• healthcare

Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a grant from the Center on Halsted, Chicago, IL. We thank the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research at the University of Michigan for their permission and access to the 2007 wave of NSHAP study data. We thank Dr. Stacy Tessler Lindau, director of the Program in Integrative Sexual Medicine (PRISM) at the University of Chicago, for her permission to use questionnaire items from the 2007 wave of the NSHAP study on sexual functioning and sexual health for our community survey for the Center on Halsted. We are greatly appreciative toward the older LGBT adults for their time and thoughtfulness for participating in our study of “The Health and Psychosocial Needs of Older LGBT Adults.” We also thank Marcelina Evans, RN, for her assistance on the literature review for this paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Center on Halsted [N.A.].