老人與性

The Elderly and Sexuality

隨者科技及醫療的進步，使得人類的平均壽命延長；由於老年人口的增加，迫使著我們重新思考及定位老年人與性的問題。雖然老化的生理變化會影響性的反應，但享受性的能力並未因老化而改變。由於老年人常被定位為性無能或性功能不全，且護理人員也經常忽略有關於性的議題，因此常造成老年人對於性表達的壓抑。性表達是人類完整生存的一部分，並且一直延續到老年。因此護理人員若能調整自己對老年人對性需求的價值與態度，增進有關老年人性需求及其影響因素的知識，及提供社區和老年人有關正確的性知識，讓老年人擁有一個自由表達性需求的空間，並提供一個人性化的老年照護。

With the advent of technology and medicine, the average age of the entire population in human society is increasing. This increase in size and longevity of elderly population is causing our society to rethink and redefine long-standing cultural biases about aging sexuality. Although the physiologic changes of aging affect sexual response, the capacity of enjoying sex is not altered with age. Elderly people have been assigned to a category of sexual inertness and dysfunction. Also nurses are still reticent to talk about sexual issues in the elderly. As a result, they may inhibit their sexual expressions. Sexual expression is an integral part of human existence and it exists throughout life. Nurses should adjust their own values and attitudes regarding age and sexuality, improve their knowledge about the needs and difficulties of sexuality among the elders and provide information about sexuality to society and elders, in order to help the elders to have greater freedom of sexual expression and provide them with a humanistic care.