Therapy for the Aging Population
Why does no one speak about healthy sexual activity post-child rearing? Are we unconsciously still a society that views sex as a means for reproduction or are we a culture that is sex positive for pleasure? Healthy sexual activity and release is a natural part of living and does not stop just because our libidos decrease in intensity. However, as a society, we label the aging as non-sexual beings. A lot of couples’/ individual’s identities revolve around their sexual intimacy and when aging makes that more difficult, tensions can increase, causing interpersonal issues. Unhealthy sexual activity, lack of, or difficulties with sexual activity can lead to mental health issues—an issue almost all adults face at one point, but no one seems to be talking about it. It is so important for therapists to not only focus on the sexual dysfunction that services are being sought, but also what the couple/individual wants from their sexual experiences, sexual aspirations, and the use or addition of enhancement products like vibrators, lube, pills, and clothing (Clay, 2012). According to Skultety, in 2007 there were over 1,000 books on Amazon.com regarding old age and sex. This underlines the scale to which this is a problem. Cross-sectional studies showed that older adults maintain positive attitudes towards sex. The study showed that 90 percent of individuals 70-years-old and over disagreed that “sex is only for younger people” (Skultety, 2007). Attitudes seemed consistent amongst older Caucasian individuals expressing, “people should not have sexual relationships if they are not married” might be the root of the issue. It is beneficial to clients to provide psychoeducation on the options available for older adults, especially those involving physical dysfunctions that have alternate treatment options.
