Ebor Megan T, Sutton Madeline Y
College of Health and Human Services, School of Social Work San Diego State University San Diego California USA.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Morehouse School of Medicine Atlanta Georgia USA.
Health Sci Rep. 2025 Apr 18;8(4):e70733. doi: 10.1002/hsr2.70733. eCollection 2025 Apr.
Sexual health among older adults (ages 50 and above) remains under-addressed in clinical settings, often due to ageism and misconceptions about older adults being asexual. Despite high rates of sexual activity in this age group, healthcare providers rarely initiate discussions about sexual wellness, particularly related to HIV and STIs. This project aimed to explore how health communication tools, specifically film and reflexive exercises, can challenge implicit bias and improve provider comfort with sexual health conversations across the lifespan.
A 24-min documentary film, , focusing on HIV wellness and prevention among older adults, was screened at a professional conference attended by sexual health clinicians and researchers. Participants first engaged in a word-association activity reflecting on the phrase "82-years-old" to surface implicit associations with aging. After the film, attendees participated in a facilitated discussion and completed a Qualtrics-based postevaluation survey ( = 35/50, 70% response rate).
Initial word-association responses revealed ageist stereotypes, including terms like "frail," "bent," and "almost dead." Post-screening dialogue reflected a shift in awareness and sparked robust conversations. Survey responses indicated that 65% of attendees lacked a standardized tool to assess sexual history in older clients. Many reported an intention to integrate sexual health screenings into their practice and to educate peers and students. Educators emphasized a need to normalize sexual health education for older adults in academic curricula.
Health communication films like , paired with self-awareness activities, are promising tools to disrupt ageist assumptions and promote sexual health conversations among providers. Such interventions can help foster inclusive, routine clinical practices that support sexual wellness throughout the aging process.
在临床环境中，老年人（50岁及以上）的性健康问题仍未得到充分关注，这通常是由于年龄歧视以及认为老年人无性的误解所致。尽管该年龄组的性活动发生率很高，但医疗保健提供者很少主动开展关于性健康的讨论，尤其是与艾滋病毒和性传播感染相关的讨论。本项目旨在探讨健康传播工具，特别是电影和反思练习，如何能够挑战隐性偏见，并提高医疗人员在整个生命周期内进行性健康对话时的舒适度。
一部时长24分钟的纪录片《》聚焦于老年人的艾滋病毒健康与预防，在一次由性健康临床医生和研究人员参加的专业会议上进行了放映。参与者首先进行了一项词语联想活动，思考“82岁”这个短语，以揭示与衰老相关的隐性联想。电影放映后，与会者参加了一次引导式讨论，并完成了一项基于Qualtrics的评估后调查（n = 35/50，回复率70%）。
最初的词语联想反应揭示了年龄歧视的刻板印象，包括“虚弱”“驼背”和“行将就死”等词汇。放映后的对话反映出意识的转变，并引发了热烈的讨论。调查回复表明，65%的与会者缺乏评估老年患者性病史的标准化工具。许多人表示有意将性健康筛查纳入他们的实践中，并对同行和学生进行教育。教育工作者强调有必要在学术课程中使老年人的性健康教育常态化。
像《》这样的健康传播电影，再加上自我意识活动，是打破年龄歧视假设并促进医疗人员之间性健康对话的有前景的工具。此类干预措施有助于培养包容性的常规临床实践，以支持整个衰老过程中的性健康。
