[Sexuality and the satisfaction of sexual needs]

The article discusses conceptions of sexuality and the satisfaction of sexual needs in a sample of aged home nursing patients (N = 50) in small rural town in Finland. The purpose of the study, which was carried out as part of a nursing development project in the form of action research, was to gain a deeper understanding of the satisfaction of basic human needs and problems of need-satisfaction in aged people, particularly in the domain of sexual needs. Negative attitudes towards sexual needs were found in more than half of the aged respondents; they did not consider it proper for aged people to have an active sex life. One quarter felt that sexual needs and desires were shameful and sinful. Only less than one quarter had positive attitudes towards sex. The majority of the respondents felt that they could freely and confidentially talk about sex with the nursing staff, but only less than one quarter were willing to do so. Almost all had some need to show affection to another person. The majority accepted their own self-image, but half were not satisfied with their physical appearance.