What is positive sexual aging?

A new study by Stulhofer and colleagues (2025) presents a new construct of positive sexual aging and explains their measures Sexuality For the elderly.

background

Sexuality is associated with health and well-being in older people, but both sexual frequency and sexual health often decrease with age. štulhoferet al. We emphasize that positive sexual aging should include adaptation to new situations and challenges that may be faced as an elderly person.

štulhoferet al. According to the following, healthy aging involves maintaining physical health, cognitive activity, and social well-being, and emphasizing three aspects of physical, psychological and social vitality. The positive sexual health model emphasizes that sexuality is important for older adults, but is willing to modify behaviors and expectations to accommodate changes in health, sexual functioning, or relationships. Researchers suggest that sexual function may change, but these changes do not necessarily have to cause distress. In addition to finding new ways to experience pleasure in the event of dysfunction, adopting a broad definition of sexual behavior can help maintain an active sexual experience throughout your life. Interestingly, the author advises that positive sexual aging does not need to require sexual activity. Couples who are satisfied and satisfied with sexual inactivity can also be actively classified as aging.

measurement

The authors have developed a new scale called the Short Positive Sexual Aging Scale (BIPAS). After a multi-year project, researchers identified four factors that contribute to positive sexual aging. Sexual institutions It’s set the goal Sexual behavior and achieving those goals. Adaptation It involves the perception that adults responded to changes in sexual abilities and function in a healthy way. (On the other hand, failure to aging may involve feeling unhappy or depressed about your sexuality or situation due to changes in sexual function or desire.) The third factor is Accepting physical changesinvolves embracing the aging process, emphasizing physical capabilities, and acknowledging the reality of changes in physical appearance. The last component is Opportunities for sexual expression. This factor includes dealing with the physical health challenges of your partner or finding time for sex among other requests.

Over 700 participants over 65 years of age from Norway and Croatia completed this new scale measuring positive sexual aging. Sample items also measured “How likely is it if you need recent sexual needs?” and “So far, I have adapted well to changes in my sexuality due to aging.” Loneliness, depression and anxiety Symptoms, pain with sexual difficulties, relationship satisfaction, sexual communication, sexual satisfaction, and life satisfaction. They found that those who scored high on Vipas also had high scores on measures of sexual communication, sexual activity, relationship satisfaction, and mental health. However, there was a difference in sexual aging between men and women.

Gender similarities and differences

Researchers found that opportunities to express sexuality play a pivotal role in positive sexual aging feelings towards both men and women. Interestingly, sexual function and dysfunction appeared to affect the emotions of women who were sexually aged than men. Conversely, feeling in control of sexual institutions, or one’s sexuality, appeared to have more impact on sexual aging in men than women. Researchers also discovered their own face and body recognition. charm It was a more important aspect of sexual aging in women than in men.

For both men and women, the composition of positive sexual aging (including all four factors) was positively correlated with sexual satisfaction, life satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction. It also correlated strongly and positively with communication with partners about sex. Better physical health was also positively associated with positive sexual aging. The authors emphasized that positive sexual aging does not need to include continuing sexual intercourse at an older age. They say that “retiring from gender” could indicate that an individual is successfully changing his expectations to suit his or her living environment.

limit

The authors note that although this new scale has been tested only in individuals in Croatia and Norwegian, these two cultures differ from each other in both. sex Equality and sexual conservatism. Therefore, they hope that this new measure will help measure the success of sexual aging across different cultures. Participants were invited to respond randomly, but more men than women completed this survey, suggesting that this topic may be more personally related to men than women. The authors also noted that responses to this survey were collected within. COVID-19 (COVID-19) The pandemic may have affected the way participants respond. Because of early scale development, the authors excluded non-heterosexuals, and future research is needed to test the validity of this measure of participants identifying with other sexual orientations.