Sexuality in OT

Today’s guest lecture covered a topic that is often considered incredibly taboo in our society today: sexuality. Sexuality is identified as an occupation in occupational therapy, showing that this activity is of great importance in many people’s lives. For this reason, it is within the OT scope of practice. Educating ourselves on how to aid clients in this area, be it simply listening to their frustrations or trying to think of adaptive solutions, is of the upmost importance. If we as OTs educate ourselves and become comfortable in discussing this topic, then our clients will feel as though they can confide in us on their concerns in this area so that we can address and work through solutions with them. Some key takeaways from today’s lecture were the differences in male and female libido. While yes, this idea does not encompass everyone, it was interesting to see how the difference in the two can often create difficulty in a relationship. Women begin intimacy with a neutral thought which throughout the process turns into arousal and desire, while men begin with desire. Understanding that each person has different needs can help people create healthy relationships with each other throughout their lives. Another key takeaway from this lecture was how we can apply all of this information to occupational therapy. At the end of the lecture, we discussed ways to help a client with arthritis in her hand engage in sexual behaviors. Discussing and thinking through scenarios and applying it to the knowledge we have as OT students is what helps us to know how to use this information in the future. That being said, an intervention that would be effective for individuals with poor hand strength and ROM may be to take breaks when their arthritis or pain starts to flare up. The partners can switch responsibilities, or engage in sexuality in a different manner in order for the other person to not be in pain and find the experience enjoyable. Another intervention that would be beneficial is hosting a class on sexuality as we age. As we get older, our bodies begin to not perform the same sexually. It would be beneficial to many to discuss why that is and what to do about it. Through this, people will perhaps learn more about themselves and will find ways to engage in this activity throughout their lifespan.