[Sexuality in older women].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of sexual relations in women >or=65 years. To determine factors that affect their activity and interest in sex. To evaluate the impact on their quality of life. DESIGN. Descriptive, cross-sectional study by means of survey.


METHODS
Palacio de Segovia Health Centre, Madrid, Spain. Primary care.


METHODS
Women >or=65 years old. Criteria of exclusion: bed-ridden women, with psychiatric disease and/or moderate-severe cognitive deterioration. Sequential selection from 10 medical lists.


METHODS
Social and demographic, medical, geriatric (Katz and Lawton-Brody index), quality of life (WONCA sheets), variables on sexuality.


RESULTS
One hundred and sixty two women. Mean age, 74.7 (7.8). Sixty one women with a stable partner (37.7%). Thirty four maintained sexual relations (20.98%), 61.8% (21) of them with coitus: these were satisfactory for 29 women (85.3%). For 50 (30.8%), communication was the most important aspect of sexuality. The lower their age, the more sexual relations they had (P<.022; odds ratio [OR]=0.85; 0.74-0.97). Of 115 women satisfied with the relations of their youth, 28.7% maintained sexual relations now (P<.003; OR=17; 1.7-178.8). The 23.9% maintained their sexual desire, though their partners had more interest in sex (50.9%). Women with stable partners and high self-esteem had more sexual relations than those who had neither, with a significant difference in both cases (P<.001). Maintaining sexual relations is a dependent factor on the Katz index (P<.007). The 32.2% of women thought that their sex life had changed for the worse, while 30.12% (20.54+19.17) thought their sex life had not changed or had improved.


CONCLUSIONS
One of every 4 women >64 years old maintain sexual relations. Factors that determine sexual activity are: self-esteem, having a partner, sexual desire, previous sexual history, and the Katz index. Sexual relations are independent of quality of life.
Fernández Hernández
Marta
M
Medicina Familiar y Comunitaria, Centro de Salud Palacio de Segovia, Madrid, España. martafhdez@hotmail.com
Gaviria Cano
María N
MN
Muñoz González
Francisca
F
Miguel Calvo
Isabel
I
Coll Torres
Elisabeth
E
Fuentes Ferrer
Manuel E
ME
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000465:Algorithms; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D019529:Sexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires