Attitudes toward sex in the aged

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Human Sexuality
• Social Psychology

Background:

• Societal views on aging and sexuality are often limited.
• Understanding perceptions of sexual activity in older adults is crucial for well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate attitudes towards sexuality in the aged.
• To compare perceptions of sexual credibility and acceptance between younger and older individuals.

Main Methods:

• Participants (university students and nursing home staff) rated three stories (neutral, coital, masturbatory).
• Character age and gender were varied within stories.
• Attitudes and credibility were assessed via ratings.

Main Results:

• No widespread negative attitudes toward sex in the aged were found.
• Sexual activity in older adults was perceived as less credible than in younger individuals.
• Nursing home staff exhibited more negative attitudes than students.

Conclusions:

• While generally not viewed negatively, sexual activity in older adults faces credibility challenges.
• Perceptions of sexuality in the aged are influenced by factors like setting and age of the rater.
• Specific sexual acts (coitus, masturbation) were perceived differently based on character gender.