Reported change in preferred sexual activity over the adult years

Sexuality and Older People: Revisiting the Assumptions

“…However, although there was no decline of sexual interest in general, there was a decline in penetrative sex with increasing age. Turner and Adams (1988) found that change in preference of sexual activity was related to physical changes in both sexes and to opportunity factors among women. This suggests that sexual experience and psychological well-being in old age are related more to the type of sexual activity that is preferred than to the occurrence of change.…”

“…The majority of studies have been carried out on small samples of white, relatively affluent, well-educated older cohorts (Crose & Drake, 1993;Hall et al, 1982;Turner & Adams, 1988). In large national surveys on sexual activity, older people have rarely been included (Weg, 1983).…”

“…Demographic data indicate that there are many more women than men over the age of 65 (Minichiello, Alexander, & Jones, 1992). If marital status or living with a partner is a measure of "increased opportunity structures" for sex (Turner & Adams, 1988), heterosexual women have more limited opportunity for sexual expression. Facing an increasingly disproportionate sex ratio as they age, heretosexual women are more likely to experience widowhood and fewer possibilities for remarriage (Robinson, 1983) and, as evidence suggests, celibacy due to the loss or illness of a partner (Kellett, 1991).…”

Save the Young—the Elderly Have Lived Their Lives: Ageism in Marriage and Family Therapy*

“…Although evidence suggests a decrease in the frequency of sexual activity associated with age, sexual interest in old age is highly related to early life interest (Call, Strecher, & Schwartz, 1995). Turner and Adams (1988) report that changes in interest that occur with age appear primarily to comprise preferred sexual activities. Despite consistent findings suggesting that healthy active aging includes sexual interest and competence (Rowe & Kahn, 1998;Zank, 1998), prevalent stereotypes persist linking aging with disease and demise.…”

Age differences in gambling behavior

“…driving ability and perception of risk of an accident (Matthews and Moran, 1986;Finn and Bragg, 1986), changes in preferred sexual activity over the adult years (Turner and Adams, 1988), social interaction (Boyd and Dowd, 1988), evaluation and experience of emotions (Sommers and Kosmitzki, 1988), crime (Smith, 1986;Sheley and Smith, 1988; Khullar and Wyatt, 1989;Steffensmeier et al, 1989;Shavit and Rettner, 1988), political attitudes and participation (Kiecolt, 1987;Cutler and Kaufman, 1975;Campbell, 1971), work involvement (Lorence, 1987;Loscocco and Kalleberg, 1988;Lorence and Mortimer, 1985), environmental concerns (Mohai and Twight, 1987), and perception of health status (Clarke, 1987). Age differences have also been observed in the relationship between subjective and objective economic well-being (Fletcher and Lorenz, 1985), locus of control (Penk, 1969;Schneider, 1988), and subjective well-being (Shehan et "a1., 1986;Felton, 1987;Herzog et a1., 1982;Gove et al, 1989).…”