An elderly male client comes to the clinic and states to the nurse that he hasn't been interested in sexual intercourse lately. He states: "I guess this is part of getting old, too."

Question

What should the nurse understand about decreased sexual interest in elderly clients?
1. It does decrease and gradually disappears.
2. It should not be taken as seriously as if the client were a younger person.
3. It is caused by decreased hormone activity and there is little that can be done about it.
4. It decreases but does not disappear.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 4
Rationale 1: Libido may decrease but not disappear.
Rationale 2: If an older man reports a loss in sexual interest, the nurse should be as concerned as when a younger man reports a loss in sexual activity.
Rationale 3: Decrease in hormone secretion and activity is a normal aging process, but there may be treatment measures that can help if this is the case.
Rationale 4: The major age-related change in sexual response is timing. It takes longer to become sexually aroused, longer to complete intercourse, and longer before sexual arousal can occur again.