Sexuality in the elderly: Characteristics of the approach by health professionals in a reference service in belém/pa

Introduction: one of the keys to human behavior and personality is sexuality, considered to be one of the basic human needs. In this context, it is necessary to discuss the differences defined by the progress of age associated with sociocultural taboos and their relationship with the quality of medical care provided under this theme, since the idea of sexuality in older adults has been neglected and the possibility of an elderly person being infected with HIV, until recently, for example, was considered remote. However, national data indicate that the HIV rate in the elderly already exceeds that of adolescents and among the trends for these high rates is the increase in sexual practices in old age, which lack guidelines followed. Objective: to determine the frequency, scope and standard of addressing the sexuality of the elderly within the geriatrics service in the metropolitan region of Belém-Pará. Materials and methods: epidemiological and cross-sectional, descriptive, population-based study, in which data were collected from a clinical interview, using a model form with questions prepared by the investigator, in patients treated at health clinics of the Elderly, from the Medical Specialties Center of Cesupa (CEMEC), from November 2022 to February 2023. Results: 101 patients participated in this study. Of these, the majority were women, over 75 years old, married, Catholic and heterosexual. About of 84% of patients did not have their sexuality addressed in a consultation, even though they felt comfortable talking about the topic. The justification for this suggests that they would feel more comfortable talking about the subject if the doctor addressed it and they were indifferent as to the gender of the doctor who could address the subject. This constitutes an obstacle in the face of resolving personalized dysfunctions, since 38% of those treated had some sexual complaint, while 39% of them have not yet informed a doctor, with the main justification being that in 63% of cases the doctor did not speak about the subject. Conclusion: in view of that, it is necessary to make the routine of questioning the sexual health of patients, providing safety for the practice and greater comfort, allowing for greater diagnoses and greater resolution of satisfied complaints, providing the well-being of the elderly assisted.