SEXUALITY AND OLDER PEOPLE: REVISITING THE ASSUMPTIONS

Abstract

Anyone who aspires to a fulfilling life would probably accept that this should include a right to sexual fulfillment. Yet modern Western culture continues to deny older people the same opportunities enjoyed by the young to express their sexuality. We review the psychosocial and physiological factors that influence the sexual expression of older people, provide a critical review of research paradigms used in the study of aging and sexuality, and discuss educational issues that health professionals and older people themselves must consider in order to dispel myths about asexual older people. We argue that it should not be assumed that the physical and pathological changes associated with advancing age reduce the opportunity to enjoy sex. Alternative interpretations and expressions of sexuality may be one of the great opportunities of growing older, especially in the absence of societal and culturally adverse expectations and attitudes.