Human Sexuality In Older Adults

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STD) are one of the most common and preventable health care problems in the world. The ageism of the population and the increase in the number of older adults, along with healthcare advances that provide better and longer quality of life, has encourage changes in sexuality amongst older adults. This increase has prompted healthcare workers to familiarize themselves with the sexuality of older adults. In this report, I plan to discuss the significance of this topic, the concern for the public, and interventions that can be implemented from a Community Health Nurse prospective.

For the partner, the stress and demands of caregiving may interfere with intimacy. The elderly are more likely to take drugs that can cause problems affecting intimacy. Levels of sex hormones decrease, causing changes that make sexual intercourse uncomfortable or difficult. Libido may decrease. If elderly people develop problems that interfere with physical intimacy or if they feel embarrassed about changes in their body they may not want to discuss these changes with their partner or with a health care practitioner, who may be able to suggest

This paper will outline sexuality at different life stages, and as a sexual therapist I will coach an adolescent girl with a boyfriend who is pressuring her to have sex; an elderly couple with a wife exhibiting a renewed interest in sexual activity and a unwilling husband; and finally a handicapped male that has been paralyzed since he was four years old.

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

There is a popular myth revolving around older adults and how they do not actively engage in sexual activities any longer due to their old age. The media constantly advertises ‘the next big thing’ when it comes to putting sex drive back into your marriage. There are all sorts of pills for erectile dysfunction, creams for lubrication, and even arousal gels. Some individuals may in fact need these supplements, but it does not all stem from old age. Take the movie Something’s Gotta Give for example. Jack Nicholson plays a wealthy, 63-year-old New York businessman named Harry Sanborn who does not like to date for very long, instead he is just mainly in it for the hookup. The movie shows him with all of these different women, proving that his sexual interest and desire are just as strong as a younger mans. Diane Keaton plays Erica Barry, who is the mother of one of Harry’s girls. Throughout the movie you can feel the sexual tension between them, thus showing that females may also have as much sexual interest as males when aging.

Human sexuality is a common phrase for all, and anything, pertaining to the feelings and behaviors of sex for the human race. Sexuality has been a topic that has been discussed and studied for as far back as 1000 years B.C. and is still being studied today. As the discussion of sexuality has progressed through history, theories have been created based on research and experiments that scholars have implemented, based on their own perceptions of human behavior. Out of the many theories that pose to explain sexual behavior, Sexuality Now explained ten that are seemed to be the most overlapped, and built off of theories. Of these theories, two that were discussed in the text were the behavioral and sociological theory. These two theories cover some of the basic ideas of what could possibly influence a person’s sexuality.

Sexuality in aging is an interesting topic being that everyone will age and the information is vital to know. Countless amounts of people want and need to be close to others, as they grow older meaning they yearn to endure a lively, fulfilling sex life. With aging, there might be changes that can produce later difficulties and issues. Typical aging brings physical changes in both men and women. These changes occasionally disturb the capability to have and enjoy sex. As a woman the vagina gets older and begins to change. The changes are things such as the structure, shape, and even size changes. The lubrication begins to slow down. These changes most likely will affect sexual functions or pleasure.

Over the last century, the life expectancy of the elderly has increased. This means that the largest growing population right now, in the United States, is persons over the age of 65 (Sex Tips for Older Adults, 2000). With this in mind, it would be helpful to talk about the personal aspects or as I like to call it, "sex lives" of the elderly. When people in our society think of the elderly, they almost never think of this population having sex or good sex for that matter. But they do! Unfortunately, the elderly encounter problems with sex as they become older and that is what I will be discussing along with way of coping with sexual dysfunction.

Changes Regular changes ( happen in the bigger populace) - The basic changes are in for the most part everybody. For instance - in men sexual excitement and pre-ejaculatory are decreased with age. . The amount of maturing impacts a particular individual shifts from i on diverse factors.((Meston, C.M(1997, October).Aging and sexuality. The Western Journal of Medicine, 167(4), 285)).Some sex-related changes happen in people as a characteristic procedure.

Human sexuality means the ways in which people experience and express themselves as sexual beings (Rathus et al., 2010).Sex is part of human life, it is a common sense that people normally concern sex since adolescence, but there is no absolute answer for, when sex should be terminated in human life. During the Cho Yiu Chuen’s elderly interview, I saw an adult magazine on an old man’s bed; it triggered me to concern about the sexual need of elderly.

of aging and its physical and psyiological processes. A woman and a man's features change as they age but many of these changes are innate and are more biologically influenced by the aging process. Although, men tend to have more changes that happen to their body than women, but both have changes. Common and most frequent changes in men that occur are the decreased production of testosterone, size reduction and firmness of the testicles (Texas Tech University, 1998). More common complications involve getting or maintaining erections as a result of the increased prostate glands (Zeiss, 2003). As we grow old into the latter years of our adulthood,

An older woman’s sexual urges aren’t nearly as strong as a younger woman’s might be; therefore,

This article “Sexuality and the Chronically Ill Older Adult: A Social Justice Issue” is published in the journal Sexuality and Disability and the authors are Verna C Pangman and Marilyn Seguire. The article provides an overview and outline on sexuality in the older adult with a chronic illness. In today’s world, according to Verna C Pangman and Marilyn Seguire, sexuality for the older adult and the elderly is a “taboo” word, and if mentioned, fear and apprehension by the older adult and society develops. The older adult, believe that when they are ill or have a chronic disease process or even disabled they are not able to have lasting relationships, be engaged in sexual activity, and the result is the older adult

Though aging can create some physical barriers to sexuality, it did not negate those wants or feelings. HowStuffWorks additionally highlighted a study that claimed increased sexual health discussions with primary care providers and further information about how to combat physical sexual barriers, could lead to an increase in life fulfillment amongst older adults. A possible origin of this stereotype may come from the general media’s portrayal of the elderly. The elderly usually serve as characters stripped of sexual identity, in lieu of supporting roles as the wise advisor. Anecdotal evidence suggests that when older adults are sexual beings, it is as the butt of jokes or in some other comedic

In the case of Ashley, I would assume her therapist would point out all the options she has before deciding if she wants to pursue a sexual relationship with her boyfriend. She should explain the variety of emotions an adolescent girl might feel when a boy or young man shows an interest in her. She should let her know that the word love can sometimes be displaced and confused with feelings such as lust, puppy love or even infatuation. She should let her know that for her young age, those are normal feelings and though they shouldn’t be taken lightly, they should also not be taken advantage of by someone who