Misconceptions About Sexual Health in Older Women

Sexual satisfaction has been linked to quality of life throughout a person’s life, and distress related to sexual dysfunction impacts the health of the individual and their relationship.1 A common misconception is that aging women are not sexually active. National representative data indicate that, while sexual activity declines with age, both men and women continue to engage in in vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and masturbation even in the eighth and ninth decades of life.1 However, patients and medical providers lack understanding about female sexual function, particularly in older women.