a Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health, and Society.
b School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University.
J Sex Res. 2018 Feb;55(2):164-177. doi: 10.1080/00224499.2017.1280121. Epub 2017 Feb 23.
Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are increasing in older cohorts in Western countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, suggesting a need to examine the safer sex knowledge and practices of older people. This article presents findings from 53 qualitative interviews from the study Sex, Age, and Me: A National Study of Sex and Relationships Among Australians Aged 60+. Participants were recruited through an online national survey. We consider how participants understood "safer sex," the importance of safer sex to them, the safer sex practices they used (and the contexts in which they used them), and the barriers to using safer sex. Older adults had diverse understandings, knowledge, and use of safer sex practices, although participants tended to focus most strongly on condom use. Having safer sex was strongly mediated by relationship context, trust, perceived risk of contracting an STI, concern for personal health, and stigma. Common barriers to safer sex included erectile difficulties, embarrassment, stigma, reduced pleasure, and the lack of a safer sex culture among older people. The data presented have important implications for sexual health policy, practice, and education and health promotion campaigns aimed at improving the sexual health and well-being of older cohorts.
性传播感染（STIs）在澳大利亚、英国和美国等西方国家的老年人群中呈上升趋势，这表明有必要检查老年人的安全性行为知识和实践。本文介绍了“性、年龄和我：澳大利亚 60 岁以上人群性和关系的全国研究”中的 53 项定性访谈结果。参与者是通过在线全国性调查招募的。我们考虑了参与者如何理解“安全性行为”、安全性行为对他们的重要性、他们使用的安全性行为实践（以及使用它们的背景），以及使用安全性行为的障碍。老年人对安全性行为有不同的理解、知识和实践，尽管参与者往往最关注避孕套的使用。安全性行为主要受到关系背景、信任、感染性传播感染的感知风险、对个人健康的关注和耻辱感的影响。安全性行为的常见障碍包括勃起困难、尴尬、耻辱感、减少乐趣以及老年人中缺乏安全性行为文化。所呈现的数据对性健康政策、实践以及旨在改善老年人群的性健康和幸福感的性健康教育和健康促进活动具有重要意义。
