Aging and Sexual Health

The Aging and Sexual Health guest lecture was extremely informative. Some of the major takeaways from the lecture included 

·      Usage of proper terminology with body parts (ex. Vulva) 

·      Knowledge on positive outcomes from orgasms 

o   Pain Relieve

o   Reduces stress

o   Improves sleep 

o   Boost immune system

o   Produces higher levels of cognitive function

o   Increases life span

·      She talked about the physical impact of aging with both men and women 

·      Physical issues that make sexual response that much more difficult 

o   Hardening of the arteries and diabetes 

o   Arthritis

o   High blood pressure 

o   Obesity

After this lecture, I feel more comfortable having a conversation about sex with a client. I can apply what I have learned today during a one on one session with a client that has arthritis. If they ask questions related to sex, I would follow the PLISSIT (Permission, Limited Information, Specific Suggestions, Intensive Therapy) model. If his/her questions and concerns go beyond my scope of practice I would recommend her to a sex therapist or someone that could give her answers. 

I can also apply the knowledge I learned today in a group intervention on sex education. The group could consist of people 50+ and I could educate them on the natural sexual changes associated with age. Many people think they are different or “weird”, but after educating the group I could hopefully null some of those concerns. During the intervention, I would also cover activity pacing, task and work simplification, energy conservation, joint protection techniques, ROM, mobility and functional ambulation, and pain management. 

Overall, I truly enjoyed the lecture and feel more comfortable discussing sex with clients.