Chapter Seven
Sexuality in Adulthood
Sexuality in Adulthood
Mature sexual expression
Sexual orientation is determined
Integrate sexuality and relationships
Establish personal sexual philosophy
Changes occur as we age
Health issues change
Developmental Concerns
Establishing sexual orientation
Integrating love and sex
Forging intimacy and making
commitments
Making fertility/childbearing decisions
Practicing safer sex
Evolving a sexual philosophy
Establishing Sexual Orientation
Understanding your sexual orientation
Accepting your sexual orientation
It may be difficult for gay/lesbian
orientation
Three models of sexual orientation
“The world is not divided into sheep and goats.”….
“Nature rarely deals in discrete categories. Only
the human mind invents categories and tries to
force facts into separated pigeonholes. The
living world is a continuum in each and every
one of its aspects. The sooner we learn this
concerning human sexual behavior the sooner
we shall reach a sound understanding of the
realities of sex.” (Kinsey et al., 1948)
Statistics on Sexual Orientation
Difficult to obtain reliable statistics vs.
estimates due to stigma
10% women report lesbian orientation
4% men report gay or bisexual orientation
A great deal of experiential diversity is
reported
Remember that sexuality is more than
behavior; it includes attraction and desire,
not just participating in sexual activity
The Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Identity
Process
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Takes time and includes several phases
Homoeroticism typically precedes activity
Fear or suspicion about being different
Labels feelings of desire, attraction, and
love as “gay” or “lesbian” feelings
 Self-definition as gay, lesbian, or
bisexual
The Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Identity Process—
Additional Phases
 First same-sex love affair, marking
commitment to unifying sexuality and affection
 Becoming involved in gay/lesbian/bisexual
culture (gay/lesbian friends, support groups)
 Coming out (public acknowledgement) selfvalidation and self-affirmation
 Internalized homophobia – a set of negative
attitudes and affects toward homosexuality in
other persons and toward same-sex attraction
in oneself.
Being Single
 Greater sexual experience – Non-marital sex
is becoming the norm.
 Widespread acceptance of cohabitation
 Unintended pregnancies occur
 Increased numbers of abortions and births to
single women
 Greater numbers of separated and divorced
single men and women
 A rise in the number of single-parent families
The College Environment
College dating is different from high school
dating
How so?
Sexuality relates to learning one’s self identity
Moral standards tied to behavior (Standards –
abstinence, double standard, permissiveness
with affection, permissiveness without affection)
Liberating atmosphere for gay, lesbian, and
bisexual students
The Singles World
Ages 25-40
Emphasize recreation and
entertainment
Challenge to meet potential partners
Sexual experimentation vs. celibacy
Gay, lesbian, bisexual businesses and
neighborhoods promote acceptance
Ethnic and religion expectations can
pose special challenges
Cohabitation
In 2011, there were 25 million cohabitating
couples, up from 6 million in 2005.
1 in 4 women and 3 in 10 men (2000 data)
New norm (see also figure 7.5, p.201)
Open-minded approach toward sexuality
Permanence is increasingly replaced by serial
monogamy—succession of marriages—whereby the
average marriage now lasts approximately 7 years
Young adults are continuing to defer marriage
Cohabitation: Advantages
Financial – tentative relationship
Egalitarian roles not “husband” “wife” role
Affirmation of relationship – together
because they “want to be”
Domestic partner benefits
Cohabitation: Disadvantages
Parental non-acceptance of child support
Financial issues tied to parental support or
credit – income not viewed as joint
income.
Reproduction- social stigmata of children
Extra relational sex more likely
Increased likelihood of divorce after
marriage
Cohabitation: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
Couples
One in nine couples cohabitating were
same sex in 2000, about 1 in 8 in 2005.
States are currently dealing with legal
forms of union for same sex couples
For gay men, lesbian women, and
heterosexual individuals, intimate
relationships provide love, romance,
satisfaction, and security.
Cohabitation: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
Issues
The relationships of gay men and lesbian women have
been stereotyped as less committed than those of
heterosexual couples because of the following reasons:
 Lesbian women and gay men cannot legally marry in the vast
majority of states.
 They may not appear to emphasize sexual exclusiveness.
 Heterosexuals misperceive love between lesbian and gay partners
as somehow less “real” than love between heterosexuals.
 Some heterosexuals view same-sex relationships as a threat to
traditional marriage.
 Regardless of their sexual orientation, most people want a close,
loving relationship with another person.
Cohabitation: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
Issues
Non-traditional gender roles
 Many lesbian and gay relationships resist the traditional
heterosexual provider/homemaker roles. Among
heterosexual couples, these divisions are often genderlinked as male or female. In same-sex couples, however,
tasks are often divided pragmatically, according to
considerations such as who likes cooking more (or dislikes
it less) and who works when.
 Although gay couples emphasize egalitarianism, if there
are differences in power, they are attributed to personality;
if there is an age difference, the older partner is usually
more powerful.
Sexuality in Middle Adulthood:
Developmental Concerns
 In the middle-adulthood years, family and work
become especially important. Personal time is
spent increasingly on marital and family matters,
especially if a couple have children. Sexual
expression often decreases in frequency,
intensity, and significance, to be replaced by
family and work concerns. Sometimes, the
change reflects a higher value placed on family
intimacy; other times, it may reflect habit,
boredom, or conflict.
Sexuality in Middle Adulthood:
Developmental Concerns (see concerns,
p.203)
Redefining sex in marital or other longterm relationships
Reevaluating one’s sexuality
Accepting the biological aging process
Marital Sexuality
Frequency of sexual interactions
May occur more frequently with sanction of
marriage
May decrease the longer a couple is together For dual-worker families and families with children,
stress, financial worries, fatigue, and lack of private
time may be the most significant factors in the decline
of frequency.
Sexual satisfaction and pleasure are
reported more commonly in married
couples
Marital Sexuality
The moral and social sanction of sex within
marriage can affect sex life
Sexual intercourse tends to decrease in frequency
the longer a couple is married
Decreased frequency does not indicate decreased
importance or enjoyment
Fatigue and lack of private time are important factors
Sexual satisfaction and pleasure are higher in
marriage than in singlehood
Adult love relationships often have complex
expectations: emotional stabilization, shared
time and values, personal enrichment, security,
and support, to name a few (Figure 7.8, p.205).
Divorce and After
Post-divorce singlehood is a relatively new
phenomenon
In 2000, 10% of men and 13% of women were
either separated or divorced, the overall divorce
rate was 4.2 %. Rate has dropped to 3.6 %
overall by 2008, and 5.2% in 2011 (less marriage)
 Marriage to divorce ration about 50% in 2009
Scholars suggest that divorce represents an
idealization of marriage
Higher expectations lead to higher failure rates
The permanence of marriage is no longer widely
upheld
Consequences of Divorce
 There is often stigmatization by family, friends, and co-workers.
 There is a change of income (usually a substantial decline for
women and their children).
 There is a higher incidence of physical, emotional, behavioral, and
social problems among both men and women, including depression,
injury, and illness.
 There are significantly more problems with children, including
criminality, substance abuse, lower academic attainment and
performance, earlier sexual activity, and a higher rate of divorce.
 Children are twice as likely as those in two-parent families to
develop serious psychiatric problems and addictions later in life.
 Many individuals report being less close to their parents and, if they
marry, are more likely to get divorced than persons from two-parent
families.
Dating Again
Engaging in sexual behavior with
someone following separation is significant
Helps people accept their single status
Freedom of expression
Dating is more focused and less leisurely
Single Parenting
Families headed by single parents –
mostly women
Single parents not often part of the
“singles world”
Presence of children affects divorced
women’s sexual activity and children may
be judgmental of parents involved in
another relationship.
Sexuality in Late Adulthood: Developmental
Concerns
Biological changes
Changing with physical abilities
Changes in sexual response
Availability of a partner
Spousal loss
Monotony may lead to loss in sexual practice
Psychological influences
Psychological influences – “appropriateness of
sex if you are old”
Stereotypes of Aging
Thought of as a lonely and depressing
time
Sexuality of older Americans tends to be
invisible – society discounts their sexuality
Sexuality is defined by activities of
younger participants – romance and love is
associated with the young
Emotional, sensual, and relational aspects
is not readily recognized – but intimacy is
especially valued in the elderly
Sexuality and Aging
The emotional, sensual, and relationship
aspects of sexuality are enjoyed
regardless of age
Men fear loss of sexual capacity, women fear
loss of attractiveness
Sexual activities occur in aging population
– at least 50% are satisfied with their sex life and more
than half feel it is a critical factor in their life
Health can affect sexual habits
AARP 2005 Survey
 1/3 of respondents report having sexual
intercourse weekly
 Majority agreed emphasis on sex is excessive
 2/3 discuss sexual satisfaction
 Health influences sexual satisfaction
 Many have identified issues to increase
satisfaction
 Sexuality remains an essential element in the lives of
individuals 45 and over (AARP, 2010), although men and
women tend to view aging differently. For men, sex is far
more important to the overall quality of life—and more
critical to a good relationship.
Older Americans’ Frequency of Sex Satisfaction with
Sex Life (AARP 2010)
Older Americans’ Frequency of Sex Satisfaction with
Sex Life (AARP 2010)
Older Americans’ Frequency of Sex Satisfaction with
Sex Life (AARP 2010)
Research Shows Higher Levels of Sexual
Satisfaction in the Elderly
Source- British Journal of Medicine
Women’s Issues
Change in fertility – don’t have to worry about
pregnancy
Menstruation loss
Menopausal symptoms
Hot flashes
Loss of bone mass
Changes in vagina
The period of gradual change and adjustment
is referred to as perimenopause.
Differences Women Report
Pre- and Post-Menopause (ages 42-52)
 Majority report sexual activity and rate sexual
activity as important
 Primary reason for not having sex was because
of a lack of a partner.
 Over one third report decreased desire but not
decreased satisfaction
 20% report sex may be painful
 Ethnic differences for engaging in sexual activity,
emotional satisfaction, or physical pleasure were
not found
Men’s Issues
 Medical Concerns – increase risk of prostate
cancer and presence of BPH.
 Less than 20% report difficulty with erection –
requires more stimulation and more time
 Testosterone supplementationmore popular
 Slower sexual responses may be reported –
ejaculation takes longer or may not occur, and
there is an extended refractory period
 Slower responses are not related to ability to
give or receive pleasure
 End of Presentation