Unit 7 - Final Draft of the Everyday Argument with Purpose Statement

Geriatric Sex

Last year, we went to visit my friend's grandmother who lives in Alabama during the summer holidays. She was turning 80years and this year's birthday was going to be special considering that a lot of her family members and friends were present. During her speech, her grandmother said she was very happy for reaching 80 years and for having an opportunity to introduce her 25 years old boyfriend to her family. All members of the family could not believe what they had just heard in the presence of their friends, and their faces were filled with dismay. A few hours after the incident, I happened to eavesdrop a conversation that a group of the family members had where they were discussing how they would reach a psychologist to advise the old lady for they believed that sex was not necessary for the old lady. For them, she was having a psychological problem that should be addressed immediately rest she will continue to be taken advantage of by the newly introduced young man. Additionally, they did not hesitate to verbalize how shameful they felt for what their grandmother had just said in public. However, I believe that every individual despite their age have sexual desires and need sex for the same reason all other people do.

History

In 1947, Kinsey realized that a gap existed regarding how the society viewed sexual behavior specifically among the elderly. As a result, he conducted a study on individuals of different ages and wrote a report titled ‘sexual behavior in the human animal.' Additionally, other similar studies were conducted after Kinsey's all of which concluded that sexuality was necessary for older people, but embarrassment, negative attitude and poor treatment by the society inhibited the enjoyment of their rights as well as openly discussing the issue (Roney&Kazer, 2015). Over the years, a lot has been done regarding mass education campaigns, improvement of geriatric health services among others in an attempt to change the perception of the society and afford the elderly an appropriate environment to enjoy their sexual rights like the rest of the people. According to WHO, a re-examination of sexual ageist stereotype need to be triggered especially with the rapidly aging population and the fact that the sexual health of the elderly has persistently been overlooked (Marshall, 2013).

Why the elderly need sex

According to a report that was released by the American Sexual Health Association in 2014, sexual functioning and physical intimacy play a significant role in the determination of the quality of life of the elderly. Additionally, different studies have proven that the elderly need sex for pleasure, togetherness, intimacy, excitement as well as having fun reasons why all other people engage in sexual activities other than reproduction (Loren Stein, 2017). Also, another study that was conducted in the US on the elderly indicated that the old required sex even more based on the fact that they are left alone after their children go them for their own lives in addition to the health challenges they experience at their age. Despite the presence of the considerable evidence presented by researchers, many people still believe that it is against the social order which categorizes sexual activities among the elderly especially women as a taboo. As a result, many older adults have been forced to conceal their sexuality to fit social norms and therefore fail to enjoy their reproductive and sexual rights.

Conclusion

Every individual whether old or young has sexual feelings and should be allowed to enjoy their right healthily. To achieve this among the elderly, more information needs to be brought to the public especially on how to support the elderly in their sexual behavior and how to protect them from sexually transmitted infections (Lisa Esposito, 2016). Additionally, more resources should be diverted to communities who still hold negative attitudes on the issue to ensure that no one is prevented from exercising their rights thoroughly especially with the rapidly rising aged society.

References

Barrow, K. M., Alfandre, N., Crawford, K., Del Olmo, I., Jason, E., & Johnson, A. (2018). Creating a Sexual Health Forum for seniors: Preliminary Stages.

Lisa Esposito., (2016). Seniors and Sexual Health: What Older Adults Should Know, Retrieved from https://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2016-03-16/seniors-and-sexual-health-what-older-adults-should-know

Loren Stein, M.A (2017). Sex and seniors: The 70-Year Itch Retrieved from https://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/aging-1/misc-aging-news-10/sex-and-seniors-the-70-year-itch-647575.html

Marshall, B. L. (2013). The graying of “sexual health”: A critical research agenda. Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue Canadienne de Sociologie, 48(4), 390-413.

Roney, L., &Kazer, M. W. (2015). Geriatric sexual experiences: The seniors tell all. Applied health research, 28(3), 254-256.