Love and sex after 60: how to evaluate and treat the sexually-active woman.

In the medical evaluation of older female patients with sexual problems, you need to assess the woman's psychological state, as well as her physical condition. An important question to ask is whether her level of sexual activity is satisfactory to her. Women's early sexual experiences, in some cases including childhood sexual abuse, impact greatly on their sexuality in later life. When sexual problems are related to the menopause, customized hormone replacement therapy is the treatment of choice. Other clinical factors that impact on older women's sexuality include urinary incontinence, breast surgery, and hysterectomy.