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Discourse Surrounding Aging Research Paper

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Discourse Surrounding Aging and Sexuality Our culture likes to ignore that everyone has sex for pleasure in some form or fashion. Created and preached has been a hard-fast narrative that sex only equals intercourse, and intercourse is only reserved for procreation or for the enjoyment of the young and beautiful, which very quickly begins to limit our understanding of the needs of those not using or falling into these realms, young or old. Consider that the young will age, the beauty will fade and procreation not forever possible. Things we cannot control will happen physically, causing our bodies to not be able to operate in ways that we once enjoyed, but that should not make us abstinent against our will. While some natural physical …show more content…

Even memory loss does not mean the loss of libido. Among the geriatric community, dementia is a huge topic (or fear) of discourse. Dementia can alter the definition of closeness as our minds require different things. An interesting example of this is the story of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'connor. She resigned from the Supreme Court after her husband developed dementia, but upon progression, she transitioned him into an assisted living facility. After having gotten adjusted to his new home, he became acquainted with another woman, someone he ate lunch with and chatted to throughout the day, and the Supreme Court Justice realized there would come a day her husband would no long know this woman, much less the meaning of the word wife, but this added to the quality of his life in a way that satiated him (Melanie Ramey). The expression of sexuality as simply a consistent presence for older adults, especially those with chronic illness, can enhance the quality of life. For many couples coping with dementia, physical intimacy continues to be a rich source of mutual comfort, support and pleasure for many years (Sex and intimate …show more content…

Television and film do a wonderful job of widowing parents or creating a life so intertwined with their children that is their identity. When we do witness the actions around sexuality and the aging it is almost never serious, often leaving one to think that that the elderly engaging in any sexual contact will prove perverted, dangerous or lethal (Dan Sewell). Much like advertisements for products incite us to buy them, the views of sexuality and senior citizens we see in the media carries into real life, leaving the elderly to be labeled as either asexual or are met with phrases like "dirty old man" or cougar, simply for having a desire that exists within all of us. Being of the community and seeing these perceptions does not make it easy to be open about feelings regarding the topic on any level, exacerbating any existing esteem issues that could be onset of aging (Melanie

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