When it comes to your sexual health, what’s important to you may change as you age. You may no longer be at a stage in your life where you are considering pregnancy. You may no longer talk to your doctor about the HPV vaccine. But no matter how old you are, some sexual health problems don’t go away as you get older. As you age, new problems may also arise that you didn’t have to deal with earlier in life.
No matter what stage of life you are in, maintaining sexual health is an important part of taking care of your overall health and well-being. Often, the biggest barrier to addressing sexual health issues is talking about it. But you should feel comfortable discussing these issues with your doctor and partner. After all, sex is a normal and natural part of the human experience.
Here are 3 new problems that either don’t resolve as you age or may appear as you age:
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
You might think that sexually transmitted diseases are something only young people need to worry about, but sexually active older adults are also at risk. STDs that affect young people can also affect people of any age. These include syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia, genital herpes, hepatitis B, genital warts, trichomoniasis and HIV.
If you have unprotected sex (which many older adults do because they no longer worry about getting pregnant), your risk of contracting or transmitting an STD is just as high as when you were younger.
sexual desire
As you age, your sexual desire usually decreases. This may be related to physical and hormonal changes in your body, such as menopause. Women may experience vaginal dryness, which can make sex more uncomfortable. They may also experience hot flashes and other symptoms that make sexual activity less pleasurable.
Men may develop erectile dysfunction due to health problems such as hardening of the arteries, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, obesity, or smoking. This may make them less eager to have sex or less enjoyable.
Sexual desire may also be affected by health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, depression, arthritis, dementia, incontinence, or obesity. Medications may affect libido, as can chronic pain. How comfortable you feel with your aging body or health conditions may also have an impact.
Discuss any changes that affect your enjoyment in the bedroom with your doctor. Also, don’t be afraid to discuss your problems with your sexual partner. Good communication is key to a healthy relationship and helps keep your sex life satisfying.
cancer screening
Breast cancer is one of the biggest concerns for women as they age. Be sure to follow recommended guidelines for your mammogram. Women should also have annual gynecological exams. During this appointment, the doctor will perform a manual breast exam and, if needed, a cervical cancer screening.
Men are encouraged to discuss the pros and cons of prostate cancer screening with their doctor, including what types of tests should be done, when they should be started, and how often they should be repeated.