Question

What is the nurse's role in assisting the older patient in his sexuality? Discuss the assessment, diagnosis, and implementation.

Answer 1

Reproductive health

Reproductive healthReproductive health is a matter of great concern in the modern world. When it comes to adults, reproductive health possesses great challenges for both the healthcare professionals and for the patient. With increasing age, the sexual health changes in the individual that is common with the changes in body functioning and structure with age. In females, menopause generally occurs at the age of 45-50 that develops various pathological conditions in the female. Males generally suffer from erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer, low sperm count, etc.Explanation

Explanation

The nurse must assess the older patients carefully while examining or inspecting the sexual health of an individual. The more comfortable the nurse is with the patient, the more comfortable the patient will feel. The nurse first should take permission from the individual before they start questioning regarding sexuality. Once the permission is granted, the nurse should not laugh. It is always advisable to question such patients in a close room and not in front of others. Old age people are very sensitive and concerned about their sexual health, so it is good no to disclose any pathologic condition in front of the patient unless the condition is confirmed by desired tests.

Several sex-related problems in the older population can be identified by asking complete details from the patient. For this, it is necessary that an individual is comfortable with the nurse. The nurse should ensure that an individual specifies his/her problem in a more specific manner as much as possible. The main problem that old age male may suffer from include erectile dysfunction and this can be easily diagnosed by interrogation. The medications used to treat erectile dysfunction may cause problems related to blood pressure. So, the nurse should take care of this. Any pain or burning sensation during urination can be taken as an indication of an infection in the urogenital tract. If an individual is suffering from any pain near the testes, then he may be tested for prostate cancer or any other disease with the help of ultrasound. The females generally encounter problems due to low levels of estrogen that are the results of cessation of the menstrual cycle.

To better promote the sexual health among old age population, it is better to adopt and implement sexual health policies as well as a defined procedure regarding sexual health assessment to be followed by nurses. The workshops and training camps should be organized to train the associated healthcare staff regarding this. Various courses, models related to conversation skills, etc. can also be provided to assist nurse during such an interrogation.

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