Sexual health in older women

Populations around the world are rapidly ageing. Many challenges and opportunities arise from this demographic transition. However, the sexual health of the older members of these aging populations is often overlooked in academic and media discourse. The subject of sexuality in older people remains largely taboo in many cultures, yet older women the world over are known to have sexual desire and to engage in sexual activity. Although some aspects of sexual functioning decline with age, the extent of this decline depends to a large extent on how this is defined. Changing age structures also interact with other social trends. For example, over the past 50 years the proportion of older people living as part of multigenerational families has fallen. Although the data are sparse, the importance of sexual health among older women is becoming increasingly evident. There is also growing interest in the health of women in later life and in women's health concerns beyond those limited to reproduction.