Sexuality Across the Lifespan

Name Lecturer Course Date Sexuality across a Life Span Sex has for long been viewed as a preserve of the energetic group of the population, from the way it is interrogated and packaged, sex is seen as for the young and the “sexy”. No doubt we are living in an ageist society where stereotypes and prejudices are often used when discussing sexuality among the older adulthood. These senior citizens are not portrayed as having a sexual life. There are many myths manifested in the society on what people think in regards to sex and the elderly, and likewise, inherent barriers to sex and sexuality among the elderly, and these common barriers extensively preclude the elderly from having sex. A survey that sampled 1,500 men and 1,455 women between the ages of 75 and 85 found that older men continue to be sexually active and satisfied well into their adulthood. Nonetheless, gender differences become manifest with age, especially those in the 75 to 85 age group; where 38.9% of these men were sexually active as opposed to 16.8% of women. In terms of satisfaction, 70.8% percent of men affirmed gratification, with only 50.8% women reporting quality intercourse. Mortality rate among these senior citizens is more in men than women, conveniently placing men in a position to have a variety of sexual partners. Interest in sex was at 11.4% in women, while in men was at 41.2%, in part due to an adaptive mechanism that women adopt when it becomes apparent their partners are unable to perform (Katz, 519). Of the women in thi...