title: Sexually transmitted diseases.
abstract: Traditionally, STD is considered a disease of younger adults, and older adults continue to present a challenge to health care providers. Geriatric health care professionals must offer older adults adequate information relating to sexuality and aging. In addition, sexual health must be evaluated as a standard domain in routine comprehensive geriatric evaluation and management. Large-scale community education programs are helpful in encouraging cultural and societal acceptance of the sexuality of older adults. Finally, as baby-boomers age, health care professionals will face increasing pressure from their patients to address sexual health problems in geriatric clinical practice. The current dearth of relevant evidence-based information highlights the urgent need for prioritized research in this area.
authors.affiliation: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, GRECC, Veterans' Administration Medical Center, St. Louis, MO, USA. wilsonmg@slu.edu
authors.forename: Margaret-Mary G
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005853:Geriatrics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012749:Sexually Transmitted Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy