Sexual Health Assessment in Older Adults: Takeaways from APA

Lea Marin, MD, shared highlights from 2 APA conference presentations addressing early career development for female psychiatrists and sexual health in older adults.

Marin described her presentation on sexuality in older adults as rooted in the conviction that aging does not fundamentally alter the importance of sexuality and intimate relationships to patients' wellbeing. She argued that clinicians routinely fail to assess sexual health across all age groups, and that older adults are particularly underserved by this omission: "just because somebody is over 65 doesn't mean sex isn't important to them."¹ She explicitly cautioned against assumptions based on age or marital status, urging clinicians to apply to older adults the same standards of sexual health inquiry used with younger patients.

On clinical technique, Marin emphasized that the clinician's comfort level is the primary determinant of whether patients feel safe disclosing sexual concerns, recommending a normalizing framing—such as noting that the question is asked of all patients—followed by open-ended inquiry delivered in the same framing used for any other symptom review.² She noted that the directive to "leave it open to them to give you the information" reflects broader best practices in patient-centered history-taking.

Marin's other presentation addressed the challenges and opportunities specific to early-career female psychiatrists, with a focus on mentorship acquisition and professional self-advocacy. She closed with practical guidance applicable across career stages and encouraging early-career clinicians to articulate their needs, recognize their professional worth, and actively seek guidance from senior colleagues.

Dr Marin is chief of geriatric psychiatry at the Mount Sinai Behavioral Health Center.

References

1. Penhollow TM. Sexuality in older adults: comprehensive strategies for clinicians and patient-centered care. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2024;19(3):392-402.

2. Chahal K. The importance of evaluating sexual history in the elderly. Am J Psychiatry. 2018;13(11).