Sex and the single (older) guy: sexual lives of older unmarried Thai men during the AIDS era.

In Thailand and elsewhere, some older persons remain sexually active well into late middle and old age. Very little research, program, or advocacy effort has targeted this group with respect to HIV and their susceptibility to it. We explore these issues using qualitative data from two sets of semi-structured, in-depth interviews of unmarried older Thai men, most of whom were in their 50's. Opportunities exist for several of the men we interviewed to engage in a fairly wide range of sexual relationships. Some do, but others choose celibacy because of declining interest; a wish to avoid financial hardships thought to be inextricably linked with sexual relationships; a wish to avoid social sanctions; and desires to pursue interests thought to be more appropriate for their age group.