Factors affecting sexual desire and sexuality
The term sexuality for this study meant the sexual experiences and expressions of subjects’ in-totality, and included their sexual function, fantasy, orientation, behavior, and various other aspects. As high as 70% subjects perceived that their age negatively affected their sexuality (P=0.05; likelihood ratio=0.02). In every decade of life after 50, more number of subjects said that their age had affected their sexual desires “very much”; almost 42.9% subjects in group II attributed age to be responsible for their diminishing desires compared to 28% in group I [Figure 1]. Subjects in group I attributed their reduced sexual desires to loss of partner as a significant factor (24%).
Figure 1
Factors affecting sexual desire
Approximately 43% women reported that their sexuality was affected by increasing age, while 56.7% men reported their sexuality being affected by their deteriorating health [Table 1]. It was interesting to know that 20% of women subjects were affected sexually due to loss of partner or other family member as compared to 3.3% men. These findings were statistically significant (P=0.008).
Table 1
Gender and factors affecting sexual desire
A greater number of women subjects at all age groups in our sample reported “very much” decrease in their sexual desire (66.7%). Although this was not statistically significant (P=0.3), such change in sexual desires and behavior over the life cycle is normal.[5]
A greater number of nonworking elderly subjects (75%) showed “very much” decrease in their sexual desires, as compared to the working subjects (37.5%), which was statistically significant (P=0.004), thus proving the fact that an active and working lifestyle may help to keep one sexually active for a longer time. Presence of any illness caused “very much” or “quite a lot” reduction (89.5%) in the sexual desires in all subjects (not significant).