Today’s lecture provided me with a
plethora of information regarding sexual health that I know I will feel more
comfortable using and discussing with clients in the future. Among that variety
of information, the following blog post will include my key take-aways from
this lecture.
Many individuals have the tendency
to assume that if their sexuality does not reflect what happens in movies or
magazines, they have a problem. In reality, what most of these individuals are
experiencing is normal. This is especially important when discussing this topic
with both men and women. Women should realize that their process of achieving
an orgasm is often times must more complex than that of a man. This is also
important to explain to a man to ensure that he is not blaming his failure at
achieving a woman’s “ideal” orgasm on himself, when in fact, it is just
different.
We have to also recognize that as individuals
grow older, they do not become asexual, but the barriers apparent for intimacy
and sexual intercourse do increase. For example, high blood pressure and
diabetes are two conditions that can interfere with an individual’s ability to
engage in intercourse. Additionally, many medications can result in a variety
of side effects negatively impacting an individual’s sexual health. While
discussing the implications of OT and why an individual should manage their
conditions, this is a point that could be included in the conversation. After
all, that could be a large motivating factor for someone to participate if you inform
them that by managing their condition, they could improve their sexual
relationships and sexual health. Lastly, it is important to combine medical
intervention along with a shift in thinking when dealing with sexual health.
Individual intervention: If
a woman is experiencing difficulty with vaginal pain and it is interfering with
her sexual health, we could perform kegel exercises to strengthen her pelvic floor
muscles. These could be performed in the privacy of her room and would provide
her with the skills and information to perform these exercises independently to
increase her progress outside of therapy.
Population-based intervention:
informative session with a group of older women or older men (separately) at a retirement
community, SNF, or senior center. This could be a session focused on how to continue
having intimacy and sexual intercourse with conditions such as arthritis,
osteoporosis, or joint stiffness. We could identify safe and comfortable
positions for sexual intercourse to avoid placing force or causing pain to the
areas affected by the condition. For example, we would identify various
positions that rely on specific joint functions in order for the individuals to
see which positions don’t involve their affected joints or extremities and
determine which would work best for them. This would also promote a shift in
thinking regarding sexual health by informing the participants that sex and intimacy
do not have to follow a set of strict guidelines. Additionally, I would inform
the participants of the changes in sexual function that accompany age and ways to
compensate for those various changes.
Valli, J. (2019). Aging and sexual health: Intimacy over a lifetime
[PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://blackboard.uthsc.edu/webapps/blackboard/execute/content/file?cmd=view&content_id=_732315_1&course_id=_13553_1
