Living arrangements that do not allow for privacy, such as long-term care facilities create a barrier to sexual activity. The research on homosexuality and bisexuality has ignored older persons so the needs of these individuals are not clearly identified. The current cohort of older adults have not experienced much acceptance of different sexual preferences and therefore many older gay, lesbian and bisexuals may not be open about this aspect of their life. There is very little research about the sexuality of elders from diverse cultures. What cross cultural research there is has focused on teenagers.
Safe sex is just as important for older adults as it is for the young.
Sexually transmitted diseases do not differentiate based on age. To date, the most distinctive transmission source among the elderly has been blood transfusions that occurred even 16 to 18 years earlier. Mental Health and Aging , Kansas City, MO., University of Missouri-Kansas City. Dimensions Vol.6, No.3. The National council on the Aging.