Sexuality in Older Adults in A Primary Care Unit of Thailand during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Survey

ABSTRACT

Objectives

To investigate sexuality in older Thai adults during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and the associated factors.

Methods

This cross-sectional survey was conducted on older adults visiting a primary care unit (PCU) in Thailand. A hundred and ninety older adults were enrolled by convenience sampling. Multiple logistic regression analysis with a backward stepwise algorithm was used to analyze factors associated with sexual desire and activity in older Thai adults.

Results

The median age of participants was 67.99 (60.01–88.57) years, and 63.2% were women. Overall, 37.4% of participants had sexual desires, and 54.2% were sexually active during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, more than half reported a decrease in sexual activity, fearing COVID-19 transmission as the most common reason. Men had more sexual desire and activity than women (adjusted OR [95% CI] = 13.92 [4.76, 40.73] and 6.63 [2.59, 16.94], respectively).

Conclusions

Older Thai adults in the PCU displayed decreased sexual desire and activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sexual health is a lifestyle aspect that required investigation and care during the pandemic.

Clinical Implications

Older Thai adults should be educated in that sexual activities can be broader than sexual intercourse, and sexual health should be cared for during an eventual new pandemic disease.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexuality
• sexual desire
• sexual activity
• older adults
• COVID-19

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Clinical implications

• Many older Thai adults had sexual desires and activities even during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, over half experienced lesser sexuality.

• Healthcare providers should educate older Thai adults that sexual activities are broader than sexual intercourse to facilitate their sexual expression and maintenance of relationships with their partner, especially in older adults who cannot perform sexual intercourse.

• In an eventual new pandemic disease, sexual health is an important aspect that healthcare providers should recognize, investigate, and treat.

Data availability statement

The data that supporting the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author, Thareerat Ananchaisarp. The data are not publicly available due to the privacy of research participants.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2022.2123289.

Additional information

Funding

The research was financially supported by the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University.