FACTORS THAT INTERFERE WITH THE SEXUAL RESPONSE OF WOMEN IN THE THIRD AGE

Abstract

Despite the increase in life expectancy, sexuality in the elderly has not received due importance from society. With aging, the body goes through physiological, psychological, and social changes that interfere with sexual practice. The aim of the present study was to describe self-reporting by elderly women about aspects that interfere with sexual response. This is a descriptive study with a sample of 65 elderly women registered at a Social Assistance Reference Center (CRAS) in the municipality of Aracaju-SE. A semi-structured questionnaire was used. Pearson’s X2 test was used to associate the variables. A value of p≤0.05 was considered significant. The results showed that 52.54% of the interviewees were widows and 61% were sexually inactive. The fact of being a widow (p = 0.007), low education (p = 0.001) and sleeping in a shared room (p = 0.006) was associated with sexual inactivity. The most reported causes of inactivity were the lack of a partner (25%) and privacy (20%). Most sexually active women had sex for pleasure (86.95%). Age had no significant association with sexual activity. The belief in the acceptance of children was associated with the interest of the elderly women in loving relationships after becoming a widow or divorcing (p = 0.003). Thus, it is concluded that it was not age that interfered in the affective and sexual relationships of the elderly women interviewed, but social factors associated with aging. One of the challenges in the health field is to break the myths and prejudices in society and prepare future elderly people for healthier senescence.