Specific Sexual Difficulties What is the most common problem that brings people to sex therapists? What are the symptoms of sexual aversion? What is the definition of male erectile disorder? What percentage of women has never experienced orgasm? How common is the problem of premature ejaculation? What conditions can cause painful intercourse in men and […]

Although a spouse can die during the early — or middle-adult years, widowhood usually occurs later in life. In most heterosexual couples the man dies first, a tendency that became more pronounced during the 20 th century. There are more than four widows for every wid­ower (U. S. Census Bureau, 2002). Older men without partners […]

People who continue to grow in age can develop a wholeness of self that transcends the limited roles and life experience of youth. Intimacy can then involve a sharing of that integrated multidimensional self (Friedan, 1994; Wales & Todd, 2001). A sex and marital therapist further explains: The essence of sexual intimacy lies not in […]

Although most of the challenges and rewards of aging are experienced by adults regard­less of sexual orientation, gay men and lesbians experience some unique aspects. Some gay men and lesbians are better prepared for coping with the adjustments of aging than are many heterosexual men and women. Facing the adversities of belonging to a stigmatized […]

Aging does affect the number of people who engage in sexual activity, and the percentage of sexually active adults does decline with each decade (Doskoch, 2011), as shown in ■ Table 13.3. What factors contribute to remaining sexually active in later years? Research has consistently revealed a close correlation between the level of a person’s […]

We have seen that our society tends to perceive the older years as a time when sexuality no longer has a place in people’s lives. What does research show about the reality of sexuality among older peo­ple in our own society? For many older adults sexuality is part of what makes their lives full and […]

In previous chapters we have discussed the double standard as it relates to male and female sexual expression during adolescence and adulthood. The assumptions and prejudices implicit in the sexual double standard continue into old age, imposing a particular burden on women. Although a woman’s sexual capabilities can continue throughout her lifetime, the cultural image […]

In general, people are living longer and being sexually active for a greater portion of their lives (Elders, 2010). In the later years of life, most people begin to note certain physical changes taking place in their sexual response patterns (Herbenick et al., 2010b), as described in Chapter 6. Some women and men who understand […]

Although the chain of events leading to marriage is unique for each individual, most people marry with the hope that the relationship will last. Divorce often represents loss of this hope as well as loss of one’s spouse, lifestyle, the security of familiarity, and part of one’s identity and self-worth (Park et al., 2011). Divorce […]

A study has provided some much-needed empirical evidence of what divorced people say is the cause of their divorce (Amato & Previti, 2003). The researchers readily admit that the study cannot identify whether people’s perceptions of their divorces represent actual causes or are after-the-fact reconstructions. In the randomly selected national sample of divorced individuals, the […]