Essay Example on Sexual Expressions in Later Life: Benefits & Challenges

Introduction

The topic of sexuality for the elderly is one that is rarely discussed yet very important for human society. Human beings need to sexually express themselves in different ways, regardless of their age. It is, therefore, essential to understanding the sexuality of the elderly is affected as they age and ways through which we can better enhance their ability to express their sexual feelings and thoughts. For that to happen, there is the need to discuss the advantages of sexuality later in life, the things that hinder sexual activity, and find references to sexuality and aging from a selection of birthday cards.

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Advantages of Sexuality Later in Life

Sexuality later in life could carry some physical, psychological, and emotional health benefits to the person involved. The research conducted by Liu et al. (2016) indicated that sex has the potential to boost certain aspects of personal well-being. Sexual activity is a form of exercise, and like all exercises, it carries physical health benefits to the people involved (Liu et al., 2016). There is also the social aspect of sexuality that can serve as a boost to emotional and psychological health. Sexuality can improve general satisfaction with life and reduce the exposure to stress while also promoting the recovery from it. Sexuality is an aspect of life that the elderly should be encouraged to engage in because of the possible benefits that it carries.

Another benefit is that sexuality can be an instrument to help the achievement of self-actualization. Self-actualization is the highest form or type of needs that a human can pursue, and one needs to meet the four other types of needs before reaching self-actualization. Some of these other needs are esteem and belonging, which come before self-actualization, respectively. Sexuality can be the instrument that can provide them with that sense of esteem, love, and belonging hence enabling them to advance to self-actualization.

The Things that Hinder Sexual Activity in Late Life

Illness is one of the main hindrances to sexual activity in late life. Certain types of illnesses, such as arthritis, can reduce the ability of one to have or enjoy sex. Such illnesses affect the joints, which indirectly inconveniences the ability of one to perform physical exercises such as sex. There are also other health-related issues such as chronic pain as a result of a chronic disease or health issue such as erectile dysfunction. As much as chronic pain can be temporarily suppressed using medications, such medications sometimes end up carrying side effects such as mood swings or lower libido. Sometimes, the individual could become disabled as a result of an accident or disease. These make it difficult for a person to perform activities such as getting in and out of bed.

There is also emotional instability, such as depression, anxiety, or stress. Emotional instability, such as anxiety, makes a person too nervous or scared to approach or engage other people for fear of rejection or harsh criticism. In men, depression can create erectile dysfunction or premature ejaculation (Cherney, 2009).

References to Sexual Activity

I managed to find some references to sexuality and aging from the selection of birthday cards, although most cards were addressing other matters unrelated to sexuality. For example, one of the birthday cards had a direct reference to Viagra, where the sender is informing the recipient about having acquired a new stash of the pills. Another card was rather direct where the sender wanted to meet up so they could rekindle the “bedroom” antics of their youth. However, the one that stood out to me was one where the sender was asking the recipient to “get back on the old saddle.” These were some of the few birthday cards that made references to both sexuality and aging.

References

Cherney, K. (2009, June 6). Depression & Sex: How Depression Can Affect Sexual Health. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/depression/sexual-health.

Liu, H., Waite, L. J., Shen, S., & Wang, D. H. (2016). Is sex good for your health? A national study on partnered sexuality and cardiovascular risk among older men and women. Journal of health and social behavior, 57(3), 276-296.