ABSTRACT

Older adults remain sexually active well into later life; yet, there is no consistency in the literature about what sex means to them. The study described in this paper investigated the understanding of sexual activity as reported by 30 women and men from Poland, aged 65 to 82 (M = 71, SD = 5,24). Semi-structured interviews were thematically analyzed in relation to sexual scripts theory and the participants’ specific sociocultural background. The results demonstrate the diversity of opinions on what sex is: from penetrative intercourse, through various expressions of physical intimacy, to emotional intimacy as a central concept. The dominant perception of sex as intercourse among some study participants evolved into an intimacy-oriented and partner-focused activity, with the discovery of fondling and female sexual pleasure as components of sex. Certain life events – such as ending a long-term marriage or engaging in a new romantic relationship – were identified as facilitating this change. Notable similarities in older women’s and men’s perceptions of satisfying sex in later life were observed. Acknowledging the nuanced meaning of sex for this population can contribute to a better understanding of the specificity of older adults’ sexuality.

摘要

老年人在晚年仍保持性活跃；然而，关于性对他们意味着什么的文献并没有一致性。本文中描述的研究调查了来自波兰的 30 名年龄在 65 至 82 岁之间的女性和男性报告的对性活动的理解（M = 71，SD = 5,24）。对半结构化访谈进行了主题分析，涉及性脚本理论和参与者的特定社会文化背景。结果证明了关于什么是性的意见的多样性：从插入式性交，通过身体亲密的各种表达，到作为中心概念的情感亲密。随着发现爱抚和女性性快感是性行为的组成部分，一些研究参与者将性视为性交的主导观念演变成一种以亲密关系为导向和以伴侣为中心的活动。某些生活事件——例如结束长期婚姻或建立新的浪漫关系——被认为促进了这种变化。观察到老年女性和男性对晚年满足性行为的看法有显着的相似性。