Focus on the sexual health of older adults

China is the country with the largest number of aging population in the world. By the middle of the 21st century (around 2050), China’s elderly population will exceed 400 million, accounting for about 1/4 of the total population. At present, China’s elderly population reaches 180 million, accounting for nearly 14% of the total population, and has entered an aging society (the international standard is that people over 60 years old account for more than 10% of the total population.) At the end of 2010, the aging ratio in Tianjin accounted for 18% of the total population in Tianjin, ranking third in the country. Among the increasing number of social problems caused by old age, health is the first important one, among which everyone pays much attention to some common physical diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, respiratory diseases and other chronic diseases, as well as malignant tumors, while less attention is paid to sex-related health problems. The health of the elderly not only refers to the absence of physical diseases, but also includes a healthy psychological and harmonious sexual life. A normal and regular sex life is very beneficial to the elderly and should be encouraged. In 2008, Pfizer released the preliminary results of a worldwide sexual health survey involving 26,000 men and women aged 40 to 80 in 28 countries and regions, including the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and China, which found that among people aged 40 to 80, more than 80 percent of men and 60 percent The survey found that more than 80 percent of men and 60 percent of women between the ages of 40 and 80 consider sex to be an important part of their overall life, with about 90 percent of South Koreans saying it is very important to their overall life. Dr. Kim Rose, an expert at the Australian Centre for Sexual Health, states, “The importance of sexual health to a person’s overall health is often overlooked by the individual, medical professionals and society at large, so we can no longer ignore the impact of sexual health on an individual’s overall health, which is as important as diet and exercise.” According to Professor Hong Zhaoguang, a renowned cardiovascular specialist at Beijing Anzhen Hospital and a renowned expert in the promotion and popularization of public health education, “Doctors must be prepared to guide their patients through a discussion of sexual disorders, as these sexual disorder issues can be indicators of a number of potentially life-threatening diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hyperlipidemia. In addition, sexual health issues can lead to other problems such as impaired self-esteem, which can often really affect the overall quality of life for the individual and their partner.” The ancients used to say “teenage couples to old companions”, many people feel that age, the feelings between the couple is becoming dull, still indulge in sexual affairs is not decent, and therefore gradually abandoned or even stopped the sex life. In fact, this is not desirable. Repression of sexual impulses, suspend sex life, not only the maintenance of the elderly couple emotions have a certain impact, but also increase the loneliness of the elderly feeling cold, not conducive to physical and mental health. According to the survey, the elderly who are interested in sex life, in the 60-year-old group accounted for 70%, 60-80 years old accounted for 50%, more than 80 years old have 10%. We often encounter cases of STD infection among the elderly for various reasons in our clinical clinics. For example, gonorrhea in women in their 60s, condyloma in men in their 70s, and syphilis in elderly men in their 80s are no longer new. My postgraduate student once summarized the data of all syphilis patients in our department for the five years from 2006 to 2010, there were 1219 cases of syphilis, 101 cases over 60 years old, accounting for 8.29%. 9.0%, and 11.88% in 10 years, which is a very obvious trend of increasing year by year. The oldest case was an 88-year-old male with stage II syphilis who was widowed and had a history of repeated unclean contact. He came to our department with a red rash on his trunk for more than one month, and was found to have a serum TRUST titer of 1:128 and a positive TPPA. It can be seen that with the richness of material life, the social recognition of the concept of sexual liberation and the improvement of the health level of the elderly, the sexual needs of the elderly are being met to some extent, leading to an increase in the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in the elderly. Therefore, it also seems necessary to strengthen the awareness of disease prevention among the elderly. We say that a normal and regular sex life is highly beneficial for the elderly. Why do you say so? First of all, the brain plays a great role in sexual life. Adhering to moderate sex is good for the elderly to keep their brain sensitive and enhance their reaction speed. Secondly, just as physical exercise is beneficial to the improvement of sex life, a good state of sex is also a wonderful enhancer of physical health. The physical exertion and exercise during sex can exercise the function of all systems, enhance the level of antibodies, and ease the tension. In addition, maintain a certain frequency of sex, is an important means of maintaining the feelings of older couples. Sex is not the “patent” of young people, in people’s healthy life, it is always in the shadow. As the decline in sexual ability is a slow weakening process, and also has the characteristics of advancement and waste, the elderly can adjust the frequency of sex and the way according to personal physical condition. When you get older, your sex life may not be as passionate as before, but it can also be like a trickle. Each older person should bear in mind that the expression of sex is never just sexual intercourse, daily life, holding hands, support, smile, humor and other forms of behavior and emotional performance, can maintain the couple’s feelings, is an important part of the sex life and supplement. Older couples should not only maintain the habit of sleeping together, but also from time to time to give each other gentle touch, a kiss before going to bed and other intimate behavior, to strengthen the skin and sensory stimulation, not only to enhance resistance, slow down aging, but also to make the relationship more cordial and loving, to avoid the elderly to loneliness. It should be reminded that very few elderly people’s sexual ability is not only not reduced, but also some hyperactive, at this time to go to the hospital for medical consultation. Because some diseases, such as endocrine abnormalities, tumors, as well as certain drugs, can cause hypersexuality. Over time, it can cause harm to the body.