Sexual interest, activity, and satisfaction among male nursing home residents

Structured interviews were conducted with all male residents (n = 116) of a Veterans Affairs Nursing Home to gather information on sexual interest, preference, activity levels, satisfaction, and distress. We excluded males with severe cognitive impairment, leaving a sample of 61. Of these, 30 had partners. Sexual interest was significantly higher among those with partners (p = 0.014), although those without partners reported that their interest would have been higher if they had a sexual partner. Sexual preference was strongly in favor of vaginal intercourse, regardless of the presence or absence of a partner. Among those with partners, coitus was reported to occur at least monthly by 17%, and other forms of sexual activity (e.g. hugging, kissing) were practiced at least monthly by 73%. Sexual satisfaction was high, and distress with relative sexual inactivity was remarkably low. We found age, functional status, and intercourse frequency to correlate positively with sexual satisfaction, whereas marital status, cognitive function, libido, and frequency of kissing were positive correlates of sexual distress. Institutionalized elderly males remain sexually interested, especially in coitus, and may benefit from counseling and home visits when a partner is available.