Sexuality and Older Women: Desirability and Desire

Ageism can be Hazardous to Women's Health: Ageism, Sexism, and Stereotypes of Older Women in the Healthcare System

“…Many younger adults assume that elders are not sexually active, so they are not likely to suggest screening for sexually transmitted infections, nor are elders (especially women) likely to request such screening (Durvasula, ). However, among the most common reasons older women give for low sexual activity is partner's health or lack of a partner (McHugh & Interligi, ). After the death of a partner, or after moving into senior housing where potential partners are available, sexual activity may increase.…”

Women’s sexuality: Victims, objects, or agents?

“…Complicating notions of the successfully sexual older woman is the focus on older women' s sexual decline and dysfunction. Within the medicalized-sexual dysfunction discourse, older women' s interest in sex may be labeled as a sexual dysfunction if it is too low (McHugh & Interligi, 2015). Decreases in sexual activity have been viewed as pathological and labeled as hypoactive sexual desire.…”

“…Although there are increasing trends toward sexual liberation and sex-positivity, this progress occurs in tandem with maintenance of the status quo (Jackson & Scott, 2004). For example, although there is increasing tolerance for premarital and casual sex, monogamy and heteronormativity continue to be reified; sexualized media coexist with concerns about their effect on youth; older women are shamed for acting on their desire while pharmaceutical companies sell medications claiming to rectify their sexual "problems"; and egalitarian relationships are attempted while sexual double standards continue to exist (Jackson & Scott, 2004;McHugh & Interligi, 2015).…”

“…Unsexy-asexual discourse. A salient discourse influencing older women' s sexuality is the unsexyasexual discourse (Hinchliff & Gott, 2008;McHugh & Interligi, 2015). Within this discourse, older women are viewed as existing in a state of sexual decline, lacking interest in, desire for, or ability to engage in sexual activity.…”

“…Within this discourse, normal or appropriate older women are those who do not attempt to exude sex appeal (McHugh & Interligi, 2015). Ageist culture dictates that sexy garments, which display the body in a provocative manner (e.g., miniskirts), are inappropriate for older women because their bodies are not desirable enough to show off.…”