Aging and Sexual Health

Takeaways 

I thoroughly enjoyed this lecture and the perspective that Dr. Valli brought regarding sexual health and the aging population. I learned a lot of valuable information that can be translated across the lifespan. I think the biggest takeaway for me is that talking about sex and sexual health does not have to be a strange, taboo topic. Of course I realize that this is topic is progressive in nature for a lot of cultures and societies and it is not appropriate for me to initiate this type of conversation with any and all clients I see, but I do feel much better prepared to discuss it if the opportunity presents itself in an appropriate situation, using the PLISSIT model. Like Dr. Valli said over and over, I'm just thankful to have had access to this information and to be able to talk about it like we do any other subject. I liked that she debunked a lot of myths, one being that older adults must be "asexual". We will all be older adults one day and though our minds will change and alter with age, we will still be the same person on the inside. We will have changes in our interests, sure, but I imagine that we will always want to feel socially connected, intimate with our loved ones, and loved overall. These innate needs don't just go away because we have wrinkles and graying hair! Another important takeaway for me was learning about the sort of linear progression of how people become intimate, starting with either desire or arousal. It made perfect sense to hear her talk about how this changes depending on length of the relationship and depending on gender (assigned male or female at birth). I think just having knowledge of this sort of stepping stone to intimacy in relationships is crucial! Women and both are always trying to blame themselves for a lack of something in their relationship, when in reality we just don't fully understand these steps in sequence and how they occur differently for women and men.

Interventions

An individual intervention could be education for a client who has just had open-heart surgery. The client might understand their precautions, but they might not be comfortable enough to ask about how this precautions might influence their ability to engage in sexual activity. Using the PLISSIT model, I could initiate a conversation about this and if they client were willing to engage in the conversation then we could continue in education about alternate positions, things to be aware of, etc.

A group or individual intervention could be done with clients that have spinal cord injuries. We have discussed occupational therapy's role in this topic with clients with SCI and I think that these clients would benefit greatly from education about sexual health and activity post injury. I'm sure there are the handful of people who feel bold enough to bring this topic up on their own, but I would imagine there are more people than not who wouldn't bring it up and would just go on questioning, wondering, and doing their own research. Since occupational therapists are involved in personal ADLs such as dressing, bathing, and toileting, it would make sense that we also be the practitioners who are equipped to handle sexual activity. Depending on the needs of the client, we could provide education on basic anatomy and provide education about their specific level of injury and what that could mean for their sexual health. We could also address the psychosocial aspect of this for these clients. They will undoubtedly be going through some changes in their self-esteem or might be battling forms of depression and anxiety relating to this topic. It is fully within our scope of practice to provide therapy interventions that would address these issues.

Occupational therapy is awesome!