Sexual Activity, Interest and Satisfaction in Older Women in Iran

Introduction: The world's population is aging and the issue of sexual activity in elderly people is still a taboo in many cultures. The purpose of this study was to examine the sexual activity, interest and satisfaction in older women attended the Health Care Centers in the city of Ardabil-Northern Iran. Method This Cross-sectional study was conducted on 380 married women over 60 years old who had been selected by convenient sampling method. Data were gathered anonymously by three questionnaires (Goldberg general health, FSFI and demographic information Questionnaires) and analyzed using SPSS software. Results: This study indicated that the mean age of participants was 71±6.8 years, 60% of the studied women had sexual activity and about half of them had interest in sex. Sexually active women were significantly younger (p<0.05) and more educated (p<0.001) than sexually inactive women. The participants’ sexual activity, interest in sex, emotional intimacy and sexual satisfaction with their husbands were significantly affected by the presence of children at home regardless of whether they are single or married (p<0.05).. Conclusion: This study approved that despite misconceptions, older age and sexuality do not contradict each other and high education and having a private environment facilitate the intimate relationships and elevate their sexual satisfaction. The result of this study could help health care providers to provide appropriate and effective sexual healthcare services to older women.