Overcoming Medical Barriers for Sexual Relations
Medical problems can impact a person's sexual stamina after 60. Men’s and women’s sexual health can be affected.
Asthma, emphysema, or Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can make breathing difficult during sexual intercourse. Arthritis, knee or hip problems, and back pain can make sex for senior citizens uncomfortable. Decreased physical sensation due to stroke, spinal cord injury, or diabetic neuropathy can inhibit sexual sensations and erode confidence in sexual situations. Additionally, incontinence, impotence, or disfigurement can create self-esteem issues.
Overcoming medical barriers to sexual gratification can be one of the most challenging obstacles facing people over 60—but sex for seniors is possible. Dr. Dennis Sugrue, in the DVD Sex Over Sixty, provides practical and researched-based approaches to restoring satisfying sexual encounters to seniors over 60 who are having significant medical problems which inhibit sexual responses or performance.
Some brief tips for counteracting medical barriers for better baby boomer sex include:
- Choose an optimal time of day when you have the most energy, least amount of pain, greatest flexibility, and when medication effects are wearing off before the next dosage.
- Don't participate in sexual activity right after eating a big meal or drinking alcohol.
- Don't restrict the focus of sexual activity to genitals, but, instead, learn which other erogenous zones, or parts of your body and your partner’s body are responsive to sexual stimulation.
- Consider incorporating a vibrator into sex play.
People over 60 also often find it difficult to discuss sex with their doctor. When you are in a doctor's examination room and have sexual health questions about intercourse or sexual activity, inform the nurse that you will remain dressed until after you have had a chance to ask the doctor your sexual health questions. It can be difficult to talk about sex confidently when you are barely covered by the flimsy examination gown.
