Ageism and Sexuality

Introduction to the Section: On the Manifestations and Consequences of Ageism

“…However, they argue that the current successful ageing and active ageing models do not fit the ageing process of all older adults, and, thus, they must be diversified. This is similar to the arguments made by Gewirtz-Meydan et al (2018) in this section regarding sexuality in the age of Viagra. Providing older adults with diverse models of ageing is a necessary next step in creating a non-ageist society.…”

“…Another common feature of these chapters is the emphasis on multiple jeopardies that older adults experience. The chapters demonstrate that ageism increases vulnerability in old age, which is often further amplified by impaired health status (Gewirtz-Meydan et al 2018;Wyman, Shiovitz-Ezra, and Bengel 2018;Fialová et al 2018), immigration status (Dolberg, Sigurðardóttir, and Trummer 2018), mental illness (Bodner et al 2018), dementia status (Evans), or a sensory decline (Ben-David et al 2018). These multiple vulnerabilities correspond with the chapter by Krekula et al (2018;Chap. 3) in the previous section, and support the need to view ageism in context, as part of other potential sources of discrimination.…”

“…All of the chapters in this section show that ageism is manifested in social interactions involving older adults (see, for example, Kydd et al 2018). Moreover, ageism is well-internalized and impacts older adults through their belief systems and expectations, influencing social integration and their relations to other people (Shiovitz-Ezra et al 2018;Gewirtz-Meydan et al 2018). Ageism is also present at the meso-level, and manifests in interactions with professionals (Wyman, Shiovitz-Ezra, and Bengel 2018;Bodner et al 2018;Ben-David et al 2018).…”

“…Ageism is also present at the meso-level, and manifests in interactions with professionals (Wyman, Shiovitz-Ezra, and Bengel 2018;Bodner et al 2018;Ben-David et al 2018). These may include a variety of health or mental health care professionals (Wyman, Shiovitz-Ezra, and Bengel 2018;Fialová et al 2018;Bodner et al 2018;Evans, Ben-David et al 2018) or long-term care workers (Gewirtz-Meydan et al 2018). Finally, ageism also occurs at the macro-level, as clearly illustrated in policies which discriminate against older immigrants (Dolberg, Sigurðardóttir, and Trummer 2018), older adults with dementia (Evans), or older adults with other health conditions (Wyman, Shiovitz-Ezra, and Bengel 2018).…”

Predictive variables of sexual inactivity in the elderly

“…Finally, when it comes to attitudes towards sexuality, we should bear in mind that the stereotypes of an asexual old age are still present in older people's perspectives. Research has found that older people interiorise sexual stereotypes related to their age which become significant obstacles to them being able to freely express and enjoy their sexuality (Gewirtz-Meydan et al, 2018;Snyder & Zweig, 2010). Despite starting to be included in research agendas, and despite stigmatised views of sexuality being explanatory factors in sexual inactivity, the attitudes of older people about the role and value of sex in their lives continues to be a littleexplored topic.…”