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Health > Sex and Aging
The information presented here is intended
as a guide. Please consult your doctor or health professional for
assistance.
Having a positive attitude...
We are all victims of the harmful attitudes
towards older people in our society. As we age, we will have to
deal with the preconceptions which now exist. Now is the time to
address harmful stereotypes and insure that elderly people in the
future do not have to live with the prejudices that affect them
today.
Societal attitudes toward sexuality in later
life are troubling. A great number believe that far fewer mature
men and women have sex than actually do. Many feel that after a
certain age, sexuality becomes an insignificant or indifferent part
of life. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Most older people
experience some interest in sexual intimacy. Many people are sexually
intimate well into their 80s and beyond. We do not all of a sudden
become asexual beings; our capacity for sexual intimacy will be
with us our entire lives. The real differences that exist lie in
the way sexuality is expressed. Most anything can be a turn-on at
20, but at 60, after years of sexual experience, expressions of
sexuality are more refined, more evolved. The act can be at this
time can be a masterwork after years study.
What is the purpose of sex in later
life?
As we all approach later life, two of the things
which brought us the greatest joy - our children and/or our careers
- are no longer as prevalent in our every day. This means that our
personal relationships take on an increased importance. It is a
way of solidifying our relationship with our partner and taking
refuge from the sometimes harsh reality of the world. Sex is a way
to affirm the love of life. It is an expression of the satisfaction
gained from the present. It expresses the closeness of our deepest
relationships and is an important measure of the quality of life.
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