ABSTRACT
Research not only drives the discourse about, and opportunities for, better understandings of ageing, sexuality and sexual health, it also informs the social and medical interventions required to improve the wellbeing of older people. Additionally, the inclusion and representation of older people in sexual health research influences the types of discourse, negative or positive stereotypes and, visibility of sexuality in later life. This chapter undertakes a critical review of sexual health and public health literature in sub–Saharan Africa to examine the scope, rationale and the development of the representation and inclusion of older people in research over the past several decades. The review focuses on the population sciences or demography field and is also framed within a public health perspective. We also examine the methodological approaches used in these studies, and how the research methods and data availability determine the scope and extent to which older people are represented in sexual health and public health research. Thus, neglecting older people’s right to sexual health and information is a denial of their human rights and can be considered a form of age discrimination. Furthermore, sexuality and sexual health are not only rights issues but sexuality in later life includes understanding the dynamics in relationships of older people structured around for example the traditional long-term relationships, but also including the increase in (re)partnering formations in old age and other forms of contemporary new age interactions occurring among older people (Hillman, 2012).
