A priority: quality sexual health for older Americans. (From the President).

Even though we have compiled an impressive group of articles for this issue, I am amazed by the confounding lack of information about sexual health issues as they relate to older Americans.

Why such a void? Perhaps it's because people assume that adults in their fifties and older are less interested in sex and sexual relationships. Perhaps it's because people think that adults in retirement homes and assisted care facilities are "not sexual."

There is no better testimony for providing people with information about sexual health--and quality sexual health care--throughout their lives than this issue of the SIECUS Report. It tells us through surveys and personal anecdotes that older Americans are sexually active. We must use this information to encourage providers to discuss sexual health issues with their older patients.

HELPING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS

Organizations that represent health care providers are in a logical position to bring these issues to the forefront. They can accomplish this by creating resources and providing professional development opportunities for their members. What are some of the sexual health issues that health care providers need to discuss with their clients?

The negotiation of new relationships. Many widowed or divorced older people find themselves experiencing intimacy under unfamiliar circumstances. They must reconcile the messages they learned about sexuality as young people with current realities. Health care providers must be in a position to help their patients explore these issues and direct them toward appropriate resources.

Learning about sexual health issues. For many older adults, the current sexual health landscape is filled with terms like STDs, HIV, and AIDS to which they do not personally relate. While young people have hopefully learned to protect themselves from sexuality-related viruses and diseases through discussions with their parents or school-based education programs, older adults have not had this opportunity--or felt the need.

Health care professionals need to do a better job of educating older adults about protecting themselves from some of the negative consequences of sexual behavior. Unfortunately, there is no parallel mechanism to school-based education for reaching adults. Professionals need to find creative ways to bring these messages to their patients.

Coping with the physical effects of aging on intimacy and sexuality. As people's bodies age, they need to educate themselves about the physical (and sexual) effects of such change. They need to understand the impact of erectile dysfunction and menopause on sexual health. They also need to understand how such health issues as heart attacks, strokes, and cancer can affect their sexuality.

Health care providers need to de-stigmatize the discussion of these issues and provide a safe environment where patients can ask questions, discuss options, and move forward. They need to tell their patients that their bodies may be getting older but that sexual intimacy is still possible--even if different. They also need to tell them about current treatments, medications, and counseling. Such knowledge can dramatically impact an older person's sexual functioning.

Becoming "askable" adults. The fabric of today's families is changing. Many older adults are serving as caregivers to their grandchildren. And many others play important roles in the lives of the children of their friends and colleagues. They are all in a unique position to serve as role models to young people. They can talk with them, listen to them, give them advice, and help them grow into sexually healthy young adults.

Health care providers need to encourage their older patients to assume the responsibility of becoming "askable" adults. They can do this by providing them with the information and guidance to take this important step.

CONCLUSION

We must support people their entire lives with ongoing dialogue about sexuality. We must create an environment in which they can learn about sexuality, feel comfortable about their sexual selves, and, when the time comes, communicate what they have learned to others.

This SIECUS Report provides testimony to the fact that we need to provide all people--young, middle aged, and older--with this information and help. It's an ongoing process that we look forward to helping make happen.