▁is ▁no ▁point ▁in ▁attempting ▁to ▁prevent ▁the ▁in ev itable ▁decl ine ▁of ▁old ▁age . ▁ ▁Furthermore , ▁care g ivers ▁further ▁und erm ine ▁the ▁treatment ▁of ▁older ▁patients ▁by ▁helping ▁them ▁too ▁much , ▁which ▁decre ases ▁independence , ▁and ▁by ▁making ▁a ▁generalized ▁assumption ▁and ▁tre ating ▁all ▁elder ly ▁as ▁fee ble . ▁ ▁D iffer ential ▁medical ▁treatment ▁of ▁elder ly ▁people ▁can ▁have ▁significant ▁effects ▁on ▁their ▁health ▁out comes , ▁a ▁differential ▁outcome ▁which ▁somehow ▁esc apes ▁established ▁prote ctions . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 , ▁the ▁European ▁Court ▁of ▁Human ▁Rights ▁ruled ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁Maria ▁I v one ▁Car val ho ▁P into ▁de ▁S ous a ▁Mor ais , ▁who ▁had ▁had ▁an ▁operation ▁that ▁was ▁m ish and led ▁and ▁rendered ▁her ▁unable ▁to ▁have ▁sex . ▁Portuguese ▁jud ges ▁had ▁previously ▁reduced ▁dam ages ▁to ▁her ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁r uling ▁then ▁that ▁the ▁operation , ▁which ▁occurred ▁when ▁she ▁was ▁ 5 0 , ▁had ▁happened ▁at ▁" an ▁age ▁when ▁sex ▁is ▁not ▁as ▁important ▁as ▁in ▁younger ▁years ." ▁The ▁European ▁Court ▁of ▁Human ▁Rights ▁rejected ▁that ▁decision , ▁with ▁the ▁majority ' s ▁r uling ▁stating ▁in ▁part , ▁" The ▁question ▁at ▁issue ▁here ▁is ▁not ▁consider ations ▁of ▁age ▁or ▁sex ▁as ▁such , ▁but ▁rather ▁the ▁assumption ▁that ▁sexual ity ▁is ▁not ▁as ▁important ▁for ▁a ▁ 5 0 - year - old ▁woman ▁and