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International journal of sexual health : official journal of the World Association for Sexual Health
2024;36 (2): 145-166.

Sexual Activity of Older Adults: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Joshua Cameron, Pablo Santos-Iglesias
Author Information
  1. Joshua Cameron: Department of Psychology, Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada.
  2. Pablo Santos-Iglesias: Department of Psychology, Cape Breton University, Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. ORCID
PMID: 38616794 DOI: 10.1080/19317611.2024.2318388

Abstract

The goal was to conduct a literature review of studies that examined sexual activity in older adults. A systematic search was conducted to identify studies that had examined sexual activity in adults aged 60 years and older. The main characteristics of each study and results were examined and reported according to PRISMA guidelines. Sixty-three articles were found. These articles were classified into three main groups based on the results they presented: percentage of older adults that were sexually active; frequency of sexual activity; and type of sexual activities. The results show that older adults are sexually active, engage in frequent sexual activity, and participate in a wide variety of activities. Although older adults remain sexually active, differences in the way sexual activity is assessed limit the drawing of firm conclusions and our understanding of the sexual activity of older adults. We propose a series of recommendations to gain a better understanding of this topic.

Keywords

Sexual activity older adults sexual frequency sexual health

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