Sexually transmitted diseases.

Traditionally, STD is considered a disease of younger adults, and older adults continue to present a challenge to health care providers. Geriatric health care professionals must offer older adults adequate information relating to sexuality and aging. In addition, sexual health must be evaluated as a standard domain in routine comprehensive geriatric evaluation and management. Large-scale community education programs are helpful in encouraging cultural and societal acceptance of the sexuality of older adults. Finally, as baby-boomers age, health care professionals will face increasing pressure from their patients to address sexual health problems in geriatric clinical practice. The current dearth of relevant evidence-based information highlights the urgent need for prioritized research in this area.