Exploring the sexual health of older women aged 50+ in the Southern Metropolitan Region (SMR) of Melbourne — Agentur Pty Ltd

Exploring the sexual health of older women aged 50+ in the Southern Metropolitan Region (SMR) of Melbourne (86)

Helena Bishop 1 , Sandi Scaunich 1
  1. Women's Health in the South East, Dandenong, VIC, Australia

Background:

Increased life expectancy for women, coupled with higher rates of separation and divorce, has resulted in many older women becoming single and seeking new sexual partners in the later stages of life. This has contributed to a significant increase in the rate of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) amongst women over the age of 50.

Methods:

Women over the age of 50 from the SMR of Melbourne were invited to participate in either a focus group, individual interview or written questionnaire to explore their practices, knowledge and attitude in relation to their sexual health. Professionals were also interviewed to gain an expert perspective on the issue.

Results/Discussions:

Results highlighted that older women’s sexual health knowledge and practices varied. They were knowledgeable of the importance of cervical and breast cancer screening but possessed less knowledge of other aspects of their sexual health including STI transmission, prevention and screening.
Professionals were able to support this finding, reporting that they do not see a lot of older women in relation to sexual health issues unless it is in regards to breast and cervical cancer screening or menopausal symptoms.
The professionals and women consulted identified that the sexual practices of older people remains taboo and consequently an under discussed issue.
The perception of safe sex was explored and evidence showed that this was not a universally understood concept. In the instance when safe sex was understood, it did not necessarily result in women practicing safe sex.

Conclusions/implications:

Despite the limited data available about older women’s sexual health, there is enough to indicate that it is an area that requires specific attention. A collective approach from a range of public health services is required to implement strategies to improve the current sexual health status of older women and explore approaches to the prevention of illness.

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