Sexual Behaviour and Health in Older Adults

Professor Lee Smith is an Epidemiologist and Professor of Public Health at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. His research focuses on how we can improve mental and physical health among the public. He has published over 600 peer-reviewed articles many of which focus on sexual behaviour and health in older adults.Dr Igor Grabovac is a Resident Physician in Public Health at the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Medical University of Vienna. Dr Grabovac studied at the School of Medicine, University of Zagreb and holds a doctorate in Applied Medical Science (with a focus on Public Health) from the Medical University of Vienna. He has worked as a health policy officer for several international and national NGOs and conducted research on various public health issues including sexuality and health. He is the head of the Austrian Public Health Association’s competency group for Sexual and Gender Diversity and serves on the European Public Health Association’s Steering Committee for the Sexual and Gender Minorities Health Section. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed articles and several book chapters.

• 1) Introduction to the area (sexual activity as a health resource in older age).- 2) Levels and trends of sexual activity in older adults.- 3) Sexual activity and physical health benefits in older adults.- 4) Sexual activity and mental health benefits in older adults.- 5) Sexual activity and psychosocial benefits in older adults.- 6) Sexual orientation, sexual activity, and health in older adults.- 7) Risky sexual activity and its impact on mental and physical health in older adults.- 8) Lifelong sexual practice and its influence on health in later life.- 9) Medication to enhance sexual activity in older adults.- 10) Barriers to sexual activity in older adults.- 11) Facilitators to sexual activity in older adults.- 12) How to promote sexual activity in older adults?.- 13) Future directions for research and practice in sexual health for older adults.- 14) Concluding summary.- 15) Glossary.