Sexual Behaviour of the Elderly at Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the pattern of sexual behaviour among middle and older adults in Ile-Ife. The study was a cross-sectional survey that collected data from middle and older adults in Ife Central Local Government Area using a multi-stage sampling technique. The sample consisted of 375 adults comprising of 170 middle adults (45.3%) and 205 older adults (54.7%). A standardized psychological instrument (Sexual Behaviour Scale) was used to collect data from the respondents. The results showed that the pattern of sexual behaviour, that is, holding hands 53.2%, hugging 52.1%, kissing 50.9%, fondling 58.0%, caressing 60.1%, vaginal sex 51.5%, use of condom with spouse 72.7%and use of condom with someone other than spouse 90.9%, and transactional sex 61.1% are more prevalent among middle adults than older adults while oral 78.9% and anal sex 100% are more prevalent among older adults than middle adults. Sex, religion, educational level, occupation and marital status do have a significant influence on the sexual behaviour of middle and older adults.