Sexuality through the eyes of the elderly.

Objective: to identify the perception of elderly persons about sexuality. Methods: a quantitative, observational and analytical cross-sectional study was performed in an institution specializing in elderly care in Belem, in the state of Para. A questionnaire, produced by the authors, was applied to 200 elderly persons, aiming to identify issues related to sexuality both in their youth and today, as well as stimulant strategies and sexuality inhibiting factors among the elderly, among other issues. Data was statistically analyzed through the G-Test for adherence. Results: The researched elderly had an average age of 72 (±5.92) years. The majority said they were not prepared for the beginning of sexual activity when young (62.5%), and had little knowledge about sexually transmitted diseases or methods of preventing them (42.3%). Today, the majority (84%) did not understand the distinction between sexuality and sex, even though most (69.5%) believed that they can stimulate their own sexuality. They also identified family (16.5%) and religion (15.5%) as inhibitory factors for their sexuality. A total of 28.5% of those interviewed reported having a sexual dysfunction and more than half (52.5%) did not seek medical support. They believed that health professionals are prepared to deal with the issue, although such professionals are almost the last information source consulted (17.5%) in relation to sexuality. Conclusion: many factors support the myth that older people are asexual: limited access to information from their youth to the present day, the physiological changes connected to aging itself, religious precepts and family oppression. However, further studies and actions directed at this population are important to promote the health of the elderly.