Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

At a glance: The STEP trials

A round-up of the STEP phase 3 clinical trials evaluating semaglutide for weight loss in people with overweight or obesity.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2014

Open Access 01-12-2014 | Research article

Motivations for sexual risk behaviors among older men in Shanghai, China: a qualitative study

Authors: Yanqiu Zhou, Yingying Ding, Kaikan Gu, Xiaonian Lu, Meiyang Gao, Na He

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2014

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

China’s population is quickly aging and this trend is expected to continue. Thus it is important to develop HIV interventions to help protect older Chinese from infection. Limited information exists regarding sexual risk behaviors and associated personal motivations among persons aged 50 and over in China.

Methods

In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 HIV-infected and 14 uninfected men aged 50 and over in Shanghai, China.

Results

More than 71% of heterosexual participants had engaged in commercial sex, 37.5% either had engaged in casual sex or had a steady extramarital partner. All gay/bisexual participants had engaged in casual sex with men, and 16.7% had engaged in commercial sex. Personal motivations associated with sexual risk behaviors included sexual desire and interest in sex remaining high at an older age, unfulfilled sexual desires within marriage, homosexual or bisexual orientation, need to socialize with others, peer influence, personal choice of “hobby”, and financial freedom.

Conclusions

This study sheds light on the sexual needs of older people. Our findings underscore the need for both greater education in order to reshape societal perceptions of sexuality among older adults and prevention strategies to help the older male population maintain a healthy sexual life.
Literature
1.
Goodroad BK: HIV and AIDS in people older than 50: a continuing concern. J Gerontol Nurs. 2003, 29: 18-24.CrossRefPubMed
2.
China Ministry of Health: 2012 China AIDS Response Progress Report. 2012, Beijing: China Ministry of Health
3.
4.
Lindau ST, Schumm LP, Laumann EO, Levinson W, O’Muircheartaigh CA, Waite LJ: A study of sexuality and health among older adults in the United States. NEJM. 2007, 357: 762-774. 10.1056/NEJMoa067423.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
5.
Reece M, Herbenick D, Schick V, Sanders SA, Dodge B, Fortenberry JD: Condom use rates in a national probability sample of males and females ages 14 to 94 in the United States. J Sex Med. 2007, 7: 266-276.CrossRef
6.
Wang TF, Lu CH, Chen IJ, Yu S: Sexual knowledge, attitudes and activity of older people in Taipei, Taiwan. J Clin Nurs. 2008, 17: 443-450. 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2007.02003.x.CrossRefPubMed
7.
Cooperman NA, Arnsten JH, Klein RS: Current sexual activity and risky sexual behavior in older men with or at risk for HIV infection. AIDS Educ Prev. 2007, 19: 321-333. 10.1521/aeap.2007.19.4.321.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
8.
Foster V, Clark PC, Holstad MM, Burgess E: Factors associated with risky sexual behaviors in older adults. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2012, 23: 487-499. 10.1016/j.jana.2011.12.008.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Illa L, Brickman A, Saint-Jean G, Echenique M, Metsch L, Eisdorfer C, Bustamante-Avellaneda V, Sanchez-Martinez M: Sexual risk behaviors in late middle age and older HIV seropositive adults. AIDS Behav. 2008, 12: 35-42.CrossRef
10.
Reece M, Herbenick D, Schick V, Sanders SA, Dodge B, Fortenberry JD: Sexual behaviors, relationships, and perceived health among adult men in the United States: results from a national probability sample. J Sex Med. 2010, 7: 291-304.CrossRefPubMed
11.
Schick V, Herbenick D, Reece M, Sanders SA, Dodge B, Middlestadt SE, Fortenberry JD: Sexual behaviors, condom use, and sexual health of Americans over 50: implications for sexual health promotion for older adults. J Sex Med. 2010, 7: 315-329.CrossRefPubMed
12.
13.
Xu Y, Hei F, Hui S, Chen H, Liang L, Zhu Q, Qin Q, Ding Z, Li P, Wang L: Comparison of high-risk behaviors among middle-aged and elderly HIV/AIDS patients before and after diagnosis and the impact factors. Chin J AIDS STD. 2011, 17: 25-28.
14.
Liu H, Yang H, Li X, Wang N, Liu H, Wang B, Stanton B: Men who have sex with men and human immunodeficiency virus/sexually transmitted disease control in China. Sex Transm Dis. 2006, 33: 68-76. 10.1097/01.olq.0000187266.29927.11.CrossRefPubMed
15.
Zhao R, Gao H, Shi X, Tucker JD, Yang Z, Min X, Qian H, Duan Q, Wang N: Sexually transmitted disease/HIV and heterosexual risk among miners in townships of Yunnan Province, China. AIDS Patient Care STDS. 2005, 19: 848-852. 10.1089/apc.2005.19.848.CrossRefPubMed
16.
Xu F, Sternberg MR, Markowitz LE: Men who have sex with men in the United States: demographic and behavioral characteristics and prevalence of HIV and HSV-2 infection: results from national health and nutrition examination survey 2001–2006. Sex Transm Dis. 2010, 37: 399-405.PubMed
17.
Weinhardt LS, Kelly JA, Brondino MJ, Rotheram-Borus MJ, Kirshenbaum SB, Chesney MA, Remien RH, Morin SF, Lightfoot M, Ehrhardt AA, Johnson MO, Catz SL, Pinkerton SD, Benotsch EG, Hong D, Gore-Felton C, National Institute of Mental Health Healthy Living Project Team: HIV transmission risk behavior among men and women living with HIV in 4 cities in the United States. JAIDS. 2004, 36: 1057-1066.PubMed
18.
Zhang B, Li X, Hu T, Liu D, Shi T: HIV/AIDS interventions targeting men who have sex with men (MSM): theory and practice. Chin J STD/AIDS Prev Control. 2000, 6: 155-157.
19.
Wang C, Yang Y, Lu G, Yang X, Ge L, Zhao H: Intervent male male sexual contact AIDS high dangerous behavior and evaluate effection of intervention. Chin J Health Lab Tech. 2007, 17: 2291-2292.
20.
Choi K, Liu H, Guo Y, Han L, Mandel JS, Rutherford GW: Emerging HIV-1 epidemic in China in men who have sex with men. Lancet. 2003, 361: 2125-2126. 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)13690-2.CrossRefPubMed
21.
Ding Y, He N, Detels R: Circumstances of initiation into new-type drug use among adults in Shanghai: are there differences by types of first new-type drug used?. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013, 131: 278-283. 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.12.019.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
22.
Tucker JS, de la Haye K, Kennedy DP, Green HDJ, Pollard MS: Peer influence on marijuana use in different types of friendships. J Adolesc Health. 2014, 54: 10-doi:1016/j.jadohealth.2013.07.025CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Motivations for sexual risk behaviors among older men in Shanghai, China: a qualitative study
Authors
Yanqiu Zhou
Yingying Ding
Kaikan Gu
Xiaonian Lu
Meiyang Gao
Na He
Publication date
01-12-2014
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-14-802

Other articles of this Issue 1/2014

BMC Public Health 1/2014 Go to the issue

Research article

Estimating the burden of acute gastrointestinal illness in the community in Gansu Province, northwest China, 2012–2013

Study protocol

Evaluation of support group interventions for children in troubled families: study protocol for a quasi-experimental control group study

Research article

Social and health policies or interventions to tackle health inequalities in European cities: a scoping review

Research article

A random spatial sampling method in a rural developing nation

Research article

Sexual health is dead in my body: participatory assessment of sexual health determinants by refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented migrants in Belgium and the Netherlands

Research article

Active and sedentary behaviours in children aged 7 to 10 years old: the urban and rural contexts, Brazil