SEXOLOGY – the scientific study of sexuality – is shaking off its stigma, says a Mandurah-based sexologist.
Julie-Anne Davies’ new sexology training course has sparked a growing interest in the community, with clientele including aged-care staff and GPs knocking at her door.
The educational day-course called Seniors Psychological Services teaches aged-care staff how to approach a patient’s sexual identity, with a “no-bias” policy.
Ms Davies said prior to the course, nursing home staff had gone to her with concerns they were ill-equipped to cope with their patient’s needs.
“Staff carers were coming in, unsure how to deal with sexually-orientated behaviour,” Ms Davies said.
“The behaviour was unexpected and they didn’t know how to deal with them.”
Ms Davies said elderly patients were often battling loneliness and confusion, which occasionally led to an increased need for intimacy.
She said nursing homes had a long way to go before they could fully accommodate a patient’s sexual needs, but said she felt society would eventually naturalise the idea of adult sex at every age.
“The layout of nursing homes, with single beds [doesn’t allow intimacy],” she said.
“Elderly people face difficulty because doctors are reluctant to engage clients in a sexual conversation, but that’s changing, we’ve had GPs show an interest too.
“[Sex] is a complex area.
“Sexology is as big and as important as psychology,” Ms Davies said.
“There has been a change in society and sexology is not taboo anymore, although it’s still not encouraged.”
Ms Davies said she had had great success with the course so far, with burgeoning interest from nursing homes as far as Geraldton and Albany.
She has been invited to speak on the importance of sexual awareness in aged-care staff at 10 national conferences.
Ms Davies, whose Halls Head practice Mandurah Psychological Services has been operating for six years, said she decided to study sexology at Curtin University after a number of clients reported to her with sexual issues.
