Sexual Activity, Interest and Satisfaction in Older Women in Iran.

Introduction: The world s population is aging and the issue of sexual activity in elderly is still taboo in many cultures. The purpose of this study was to examine the sexual activity, interest and satisfaction in older women attended Health Care Centers in Ardabil city.Material & Method: A descriptive study was conducted on 380 women over 60 years of old through a convenient sampling method. General health and FSFI Questionnaires were completed anonymously and through Face-to-Face and Individual Interviews. Data were analyzed using SPSS software.Results: This study indicates that 60% of women had sexual activity and about half of them had interest in sex. Sexually active women were significantly younger (p<0.05) and more educated (p<0.001) than sexually inactive women. Sexual activity, interest in sex, Emotional closeness and sexual satisfaction with their husbands, were affected significantly by presence of children at home.Conclusion: This study approved that despite misconceptions, aging and sexuality do not conflict. The result of this study could help health care providers to provide appropriate and effective sexual healthcare services to older women

Keywords:

Sexual activity , interest , older women , Iran