Study of sex in the old age remains unresolved the world over. Sexuality among the elderly has been a subject that has confused many especially that the elderly are a group of neglected people in most parts of the world. Fascination affects many who find it hard to imagine the elderly remaining sexually active at their age. Elders also have fears of remaining sexually active in their old age and whether or not they can maintain their prowess. Older women at times fear to express their sexual desire because they fear such behavior regarded as a disgrace. Elders view sexuality as an expression of affection, loyalty and a sense of renewed romance. Aging can affect physiological, behavioral and even psychosocial change in the elderly individual. Sexual satisfaction among the elderly is most influenced not by age, but by one`s general health, one`s attitude towards sex, and availability of a sexual partner (Sigelman and Rider, 2009). General health has been found to be a major determinant for the quality and quantity of sexual behavior for the elderly. Medical professionals usually ignore the sexual aspect of the elderly who find discussions on sexuality difficult. Psychiatric training needs to pay more attention to the topic of sexuality among the elderly. Life expectancy in the world has increased, therefore, many people live beyond the age of sixty five, forming a bigger percentage of a given population. Little attention has been paid to the seniors until the problem of sexual dysfunction became rampant ( Sigelman and Rider, 2009). Older people have often viewed as having lost desire for sex and that such a topic can be related to them. Studies are done in view of this... ... middle of paper ... ...t of elderly patients suffering from dementia. Treating the inappropriate sexual urges a clinician needs to institute non pharmacologic interventions. Caregivers of these elderly patients need to be informed what is acceptable and what needs to be termed as inappropriate; helping them in determining the boundaries (Calasanti and Slevin, 2001). Works Cited Sigelman, C. K., & Rider, E. A. (2009). Life-span human development. Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning. Meleis, A. I. (2010). Transitions theory: Middle-range and situation-specific theories in nursing research and practice. New York: Springer Pub. Co. Chiu, E., & Ames, D. (2006). Functional psychiatric disorders of the elderly. Cambridge: UK. Calasanti, T. M., & Slevin, K. F. (2001). Gender, social inequalities, and aging. Walnut Creek, Calif. [u.a.: AltaMira Press.
Aging is a complex process; it revolves around many changes in a person’s life, whether they are physical, psychological, or social. One important aspect that changes while aging is an individual’s sexual development. An individual’s sexuality and need for intimacy are often noted to be very important for their well being and can determine how well a person will continue to live and age. Sexuality though, is often ignored in certain stages of life, especially in late adulthood. Often time’s the reason for that is that society constructs these ideas that sexual intimacy in late adulthood (ages 65 and over) is not important and that individuals lose interest and their ability in it. They believe that humans become asexual creatures, whose intimacies needs are not to be met. Sexuality in late adulthood is in turn very important and can determine whether or not the person gets that sense of intimacy needed for a healthy living. It is important for society to get rid of those misconceptions and educate themselves about the specific challenges and rewards sexuality may bring to the elderly.
The reason I am writing this paper is to share the information I attained about human sexuality by learning about sexuality in a college setting and by exploring my sexuality through personal experiences. I do not consider myself to have experienced much exposure to sexual behavior but I do have a cultural bias to what I consider a heavy amount of exposure because the North American culture is considered more promiscuous and sexually active than other cultures.
...even twenty, this research method was inaccessible to us. The society in which we live in now is also different from the society in which we lived in twenty/thirty years ago. This subject has always been a bit offensive, though perhaps less now than twenty/thirty years ago, for the simple reason that it involves sex and sexual desires. The fact that this research was conducted and published shows us just how much our culture is growing and becoming more accommodating. I would definitely recommend it to other students and future students, and I have already recommended it to everyone I know. This book gets five stars.
When the focus is on television programming for the public the pictures of older people change
In his article entitled, The Centenarian, author Henry J. Aaron notes that by the middle of this century, there will be more than one-million people living in the United States who are over 100 years-of-age. In 1960, there were one-million 85 year-olds. At the beginning of the twentieth-cen...
...6 in 2050” (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2012, p. 15). Comparatively, in 1900 the average life expectancy was 47 (Hooyman & Kiyak, 2012, p. 15). This is relevant with regards to ageism in that the need for trained health care professionals in the field of gerontology will be astounding, but because of the current perceptions of older adults there is a gross lack of these specialty providers. “It has been estimated that by 2030, 3.5 million formal health care providers-a 35 percent increase from current levels-will be needed just to maintain the current ratio of providers to the total population” (Ferrini & Ferrini, 2013, p, 15). The prediction is that all health care providers will spend at least 50 percent of their time working with older adults; increased competency while eliminating ageist attitudes is paramount for quality health care (Ferrini & Ferrini, 2013, p. 15).
Since these hormones are peaking during the emerging adulthood phase it causes “ frequent orgasms, powerful sex drive, erotic responses being joyful, fertility being optimal, miscarriages being less common and lastly serious birth complications being unusual” (Berger, 2015, p. 394). With some of the positive that come with this increased level of hormone production there are also some negative consequences that arise. “The bodies of emerging adults still crave sex” (Berger, 2015, p. 394). Due to the impulse for wanting sex comes with an increased rate of sexually transmitted infections during this time period. “Most men and women in the US about 80% of sexually active people are infected with an STD at some point in their lives. Half of the 20 million new STDs each year are among young people between the ages of 15 to 24. Despite many schools focusing on abstinence-based sex education, it's not necessarily sex that's the problem, but rather, unsafe sex” (Papisova, 2015). Again during this time we emerging adults are continuously exploring and learning, so this one of the consequences we do seem to face. We can’t blame emerging adults as being the only reason as to why there is a higher risk of STI’s. There are also other various reasons for the growing number of STI cases some of the primary reasons
Over the years, the human mind grows older and wiser with age. With this knowledge and experience, the elderly community has a different mindset than the current generation of younger individuals. One of the most common themes among the research is that each person’s definition of sexuality changes as you reach an older age. What was once considered necessary for sexual satisfaction is no longer the case. Many articles stated that penetrative sex was not necessary in order to live a sexually fulfilled life. Things outside of penetrative intercourse b...
The Journal of Sex Research, Vol. 30, No. 3 (Aug., 1993), pp. 252-259. Web 6 Apr. 2014
The beginning of this short research essay began with the author explaining what the essay will be about. This essay primarily focuses on the differences and similarities of sexuality between men, women, gays, and lesbians. It also focuses on time, because throughout time, human sexuality has changed. New scientific evidence has also helped give new insight to the human mind and their most basic needs.
In today’s society, what was once said to be true and taken as fact regarding older people is no longer the whole story. As Laslett states, “At all times before the middle of the twentieth century and all over the globe the greater part of human life potential has been wasted, by people dying before their allotted time was up.” (1989a), and to a great extent a lot
The purpose of this short interview is to ask an elder person, at least the age of 40 years old, about their view of sex during their time and their perspective of how the society has changed. This experiment will illustrate societal and sociological changes that have occurred. For this project, I interviewed Mrs. Ebony Jackson, a 41 years old Africa-American women. Mrs. Jackson was born in 1975 and grew up in Los Angeles, California. Her family that she grew up in consist of her two sisters, mother, grandmother, and grandfather. I asked Mrs. Jackson if her family ever talk to her about sex or sexuality and the respond I got was a 'no. ' She continued to explain to me how parents and their children are not supposed to mention anything
...The day a person loses interest in sex he is going to die. Whatever an elderly person may be, if you talk sex with him a sweet smile comes on his face and his face start glowing. Blood rushes to his face and his face color changes. There will immediately be a glow in his eyes. He will feel energetic and will be interested in his experiences in the field of sex.
In closing, the cartoon by E. Decentis doesn 't properly showcase the real world around seniors today. It is no longer considered to be taboo for the elderly to have sex, as same with younger people to have sex. Once you hit a certain age, that doesn 't imply that the sex life is shut down until the day you die. Medical happenings may occur that may make sex harder for some, but will not slow them down. The human evolutionary trait that demands sex for personal enjoyment, and entertainment versus just to reproduce does not stop at the age 50, but could potentially make someone over the age more active. Psychologically , intercourse for elders can be beneficial, along with physiologically to live healthier lifestyles. After 50, people are not ready for the release of death, but rather enjoy the time they have left.
Hopefully this article has given an insight and some facts about how sexuality plays a role in our lives many different ways. We have been educated about how an illness may effect our feelings towards one another, how religion and faith tie in with sexual beliefs, and how different couples compare to each other in this subject. If we allow ourselves to become more acquainted with these feelings and learn how our own bodies work we would be a lot healthier overall. Learning about ourselves may solve some of the questions we ask in our own minds.