Older men and women reflect on changes in sexual functioning in later life

Abstract

The present study examined the reflections of older men and women on sexual functioning in later life. We interviewed 24 men and 23 women about sex, using constant comparisons and contrasts (relying on inductive and deductive reasoning) to analyze the interview data. Gender was used as a comparative framework. Our findings show that male erection and ejaculation and penetrative sex define sexual functioning for most respondents. Both men and women tend to identify men as a source of sexual challenges and decline in later life and as the ones who are more negatively affected by later life changes. Health care professionals should assist older adults in identifying more diverse views of sexual functioning in old age beyond a heteronormative perception, which equates sexual functioning with sexual intercourse. This could potentially result in greater satisfaction and lower distress concerning sexual functioning, particularly among older men.

Keywords:

• Sexuality
• intercourse
• masturbation
• heterosexuality
• older adults
• medicalization

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Liat Ayalon is a researcher in the school of social work at Bar Ilan University, Israel. Her main area of research in the past few years has been ageism: stereotypes, discrimination and prejudice towards people because of their age. She is the coordinator of an international Ph.D. program on the topic of ageism funded through the European Commission (EuroAgeism). She is also the Israeli PI of the MascAge program funded through the GenderNet Plus EU mechanism.Dr. Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan currently works as a postdoctoral fellow at the Crimes against Children Research Center and Family Research Lab at the University of New Hampshire. Her work focuses specifically on sexuality among older adults and sexual satisfaction and function across the lifespan. In practice she is a social worker (MSW) and a certified sex therapist by the Israel Society for Sex Therapy (ISST).

Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan is a social worker (MSW) and a certified sex therapist (by the ISST). Dr. Gewirtz-Meydan Sis involved in research as well as in practice. In practice, she is a clinician treating individuals and couples at the Sex and Couple Therapy Unit at Meir Medical Hospital. In research, she investigates the conceptualization of sexual health and the social and psychological factors predicting sexual health. She has published over 20 papers in peer-reviewed journals examining these issues from various perspectives and research methods.

Inbar Levkovich, PhD, is a senior lecturer at Oranim Academic College of Education, Israel. She received her PhD from the Faculty of Social Welfare & Health Sciences, at the University of Haifa. She completed her postdoctoral research in the School of Social Work, Bar-Ilan University. Dr. Levkovich’s main areas of research are stress, coping and health.

Khaled Karkabi, MD, MMH, is a board certified family physician. He is the chair of the Department of Family Medicine, Clalit Health Services, Haifa and Western Galilee, and the chair of the Division of Family Medicine and clinical assistant professor at the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion, Haifa, Israel.