Abstract Background and Objectives Sexual health is essential to older adults’ quality of life, yet it remains understudied due to ageism. This review aims to explore how different forms of ageism influence the sexual health of older adults. Research Design and Methods Whittemore and Knafl's five-step integrative review method served as guideline of this review. A systematic search was performed across multiple databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost published before January 2025. The search combined keywords related to ageism, sexual health, and older adult. A reference list search of all included publications was conducted to identify additional studies. Quality appraisal of the included studies was evaluated using Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool while Gough’s weight of evidence framework was used to assess the level of evidence. Data extraction was organized in spreadsheets, and research themes were synthesized using the constant comparison method. Results Out of 634 records identified, 29 studies were included in the review. Evidence suggests that both societal and internalized ageism negatively impacts sexual health in older adults, including: 1) stigmatizing sexuality in aging population; 2) neglecting intimate and private environments for older adults; 3) decreased experience of sexual pleasure among older adults; 4) overlooked sexual health concerns in later life; 5) underestimation of sexual violence against older adults. Discussion and Implications This review indicates that ageism negatively impacts various aspects of sexual health in older adults. Sexual health awareness of older adults should be enhanced by mitigating ageism towards older adults.
Cao et al. (2025) studied this question.
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