[Psychosocial aspects of sexuality in the elderly woman]

In the doctor's office, counseling in matters of sexuality in the aged is rare, and scientific data are sparse. Speculative literature is of little use. Normative ideas from earlier decades need to be checked for their present-day validity. Sexuality as a learning process and form of communication is relatively constant, so that few generalizations are possible. A widely accepted theory is that of non-use, which means in analogy to the mental faculties in aging a steady decline of sexual functions. The possibilities for sexual activity in age are impaired not only by illness and the side effects of drugs; rather, the difference in life expectancy in men and women is also becoming ever more relevant. Thus, today, 1/7 of the 70-75 men are widowed compared with 50% of the women of the same age--three times as many. By the year 2000, 15% of the population will be aged 85 or older. The expected ratio of women to men is 2:1. Elderly women suffer from depression that lasts for weeks about three times as often as men. Possible consequences in the sexual area should be considered.