epublishing store: Intro

Sexual Health eBook Volume1
Chapter 12

Sexuality at Midlife and Beyond, Beverly Johnson

The U.S. population age 65 and older has increased 9.5 percent since 1993, and this number of older men and women will continue to increase. One in eight
Americans is at least age 65. Women this age outnumber their male counterparts by three to two. Furthermore, 71 percent of men in this age group are married compared to 43 percent of the women; thus, more women than men in this age group live alone. For example, 50 percent of women age 75 and older live alone (Administration on Aging).
These changing demographics clearly have implications for the multidimensional concept of sexuality for aging men and women.

SEXUAL MYTHS
As described by the World Health Organization, sexuality is seen as a central part of being human throughout life, and sexual health has been described as a “state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being in relation to sexuality and is not just the absence of dysfunction” (World Health Organization [WHO]; see also chapter 1 of volume 1). These descriptions support the view of the older man and woman as sexual beings in the various dimensions (bio-psycho-social) of their lives. However, even in today’s open American society, a range of myths continue to be associated with sexuality and aging. In 1983 Hotvedt summarized such myths in three ways: older people are not sexually desirous or sexually desirable or sexually capable. Denmark (2002) described two myths of aging and sexuality: (1) increasing age brings about a decline in sexual desire and interest, and (2) older adults are not physically capable of engaging in sexual intercourse. Denmark suggested that because sexual behaviors are influenced by societal expectations, older adults may not engage in a sexual relationship if they have come to accept the stereotype of the sexless older adult.

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