Sex and the Older Woman - Older Woman and Sex

Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

PATRICIA BLOOM, MD: I try, as part of the initial assessment, to ascertain whether people are sexually active. If they are, is it satisfying? Are they having problems with it? If they're not, do they wish they were? That sort of gives them permission to talk about it. They might not want to explore it very much on that visit, but at least it opens the door to communication. And then, hopefully, I on every visit will ask them if there's anything else they're concerned about. They may bring it up on subsequent visits, see if it's not something that's bothering them at the time of their initial visit.

But I think having an open door kind of dialogue is helpful. Similarly, I think with, talking about self-esteem, a lot of these issues have to do with communication. Getting into what does the person want. That is at the basis of all of these issues, whether it's with a partner, an old partner or a new partner. And, interestingly, for some elderly people, that's the biggest issue. They don't have a partner.

There are some interesting relationships that form as a result of that. Some women who've been heterosexual all their lives may form a very nice relationship with another woman. And some people who just don't have a partner at all might find that self-expression of sexuality is something that they enjoy exploring

DAGMAR O'CONNOR, PhD: Making love to yourself, as I call it, is an important part of being sexual. It's not what we say is shameful that we do quickly, but when you make love you give yourself foreplay, and you take your time, and you give yourself love.

PATRICIA BLOOM, MD: The thing that it's important, I think, for everyone to remember, is that when we're talking about elderly people, people who are elderly now, whether you're talking about 65 or 75 or whatever, most of that category of people grew up, their whole lives, not talking about sex. I think that people's willingness to be open and talk about sex came later. There has been a sexual revolution.

DAVID KAUFMAN, MD: There has been a sexual revolution, certainly, lately, because of the pharmaceutical.

MARK POCHAPIN, MD: In older patients?

DAVID KAUFMAN, MD: Well, I think so. I think in everybody. But since the advent of some of the new pharmaceuticals that have come out, of course, Viagra (sildenafil citrate) by Pfizer, where there are now commercials on television with ex-presidential candidates talking about their sexual problems, it really has opened up the door and allowed for people to come and acknowledge that there may or may not be a problem in their lives. And I think they are speaking about it more.

When Viagra (sildenafil citrate) hit the pharmacy shelves, my office was inundated with people who are suddenly facing the fact that they do have a problem. And now that they knew that there was something available that was fairly easy to take, a pill, they were really coming out of the woodwork looking for answers.

And since we're on the topic of women right now, there has been some amount of research, based in Boston, of using this drug Viagra (sildenafil citrate) in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction. When the news articles hit the stands about the results of that research, I had a tremendous number of women ask me questions about its possible role in their treatment.

MARK POCHAPIN, MD: There is a role, possibly, for women using Viagra (sildenafil citrate)?

DAVID KAUFMAN, MD: That's still under examination. I don't know how technical you want to get right now, but there's no question that drugs such as Viagra (sildenafil citrate) will increase clitoral blood flow. Which is really analogous to what Viagra (sildenafil citrate) does in men, that it improves the quality of the erection. And that's been proved with Doppler ultrasound, that clitoral blood flow does increase. Now, of course, female sexuality is probably more complicated that than, so just because they have increased clitoral blood flow doesn't mean that their sex drive and their ability to enjoy sex, and their ability to reach orgasm, for instance, is necessarily improved. But the drug does work, and it does do what it's supposed to do, which is increase blood flow.

MARK POCHAPIN, MD: The point being that there are now drugs being aimed at older people, for the sole purpose of engaging in sex, is really something that goes along with the fact that we have to start talking about that.

Well, I appreciate the three of you on our panel tonight. It's a very interesting topic. I certainly learned quite a bit, and I'm sure our audience has learned quite a bit as well. Older people have a life, and with that life they should enjoy the same pleasures that they did when they were younger.

This is Dr. Mark Pochapin. Thank you for joining us tonight.

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