The report published in the Journal of Aging Studies finds that as they get
older, both men and women report having fewer sexual partners – often no sexual
partners – as a result of cultural beliefs and the biological and social effects
of aging. However, larger numbers of women report having no partners and at
earlier ages than men.
Those who have reached middle age and are married or living with a partner fare
better, although many report that frequency of the sexual activity has declined.
However, the study focuses on those aged 40 to 59 who are single, divorced or
widowed since the limited social scientific research on aging, gender and
sexuality has mainly looked at sexual activity among married middle-aged and
older people.
“We’ve all seen the seductive 40- or 50-something divorcee portrayed in the
movies who attracts men like honey draws flies. Think of Susan Sarandon’s
character in the film ‘Bull Durham.’ However, this appears to be the exception
rather than the rule and maybe that is part of these characters’ allure,” said
Vanderbilt University assistant professor of sociology Laura Carpenter, who led
the study.
Carpenter, with Columbia University professor Constance Nathanson and John
Hopkins University professor emeritus Young J. Kim, found that a combination of
factors, including older women being viewed by both men, and the women
themselves, as less attractive as they age; conservative beliefs about
premarital sex; older men/younger women pairings and higher male mortality
rates, add up to women having fewer, often no, sexual partners, particularly
after about age 50.
Interestingly, having some or more college education seems to both increase
women’s chances of having no sexual partners and having multiple sexual partners.
The researchers contribute this contradictory finding to heterosexual men’s
preference of partners with similar or lower educational attainment, which would
result in a smaller pool of partners for women with higher levels of education.
However, better-educated women may also enjoy more opportunities to meet
potential partners than less well-educated women.
The study, “Sex After 40? Gender, ageism and sexual partnering in midlife,”
looks at about 1,200 heterosexual men and women age 40 to 59. Of the group, a
little over 56 percent were women and about 43 percent were men and they are
representative of the United States population overall in terms of racial and
ethnic background, socioeconomic status and religion. The 1,200, who are aged 53
to 72 today, responded to the 1992 National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS),
a project that gathered detailed information about sexuality not available
elsewhere.
The National Opinion Research Center conducted the survey and conducted more
than 3,400 in-person interviews with respondents randomly drawn from a national
sample of U.S. households. The survey’s response rate was nearly 80 percent.
Only English-speaking adults aged 18 to 59 were eligible to participate in the
NHSLS.
While the outlook may seem grim for those who wish to have an active sexual life
in middle age, the researchers believe that change is on the horizon as younger
Baby Boomers age and Generation X enters middle age.
“We will probably see an increase in mass media and other market-driven
institutions catering to this sizable group so new cultural images of
middle-aged and older women and men may emerge, which could have an impact on
younger generations’ views on sexual desire and activity in later life –
particularly if their parents and grandparents continue to see sexuality as an
important part of their lives,” Carpenter said.
“Also, Baby Boomers and Generation X typically have more liberal sexual
attitudes and behaviors – so we may see a decline in the number of women, and
men, who do not seek sexual partners because of conservative views regarding sex
outside of marriage,” she said.
The study suggests that the 2003 box office success of "Something’s Gotta Give,"
a romantic comedy about the sexual relationship between a woman in her late 50s,
played by Diane Keaton, and a man in his early 60s, played by Jack Nicholson, is
a sign that change may already be underway.
All of the above text is a press release provided by the quoted organization.
globalagingtimes.com accepts no responsibility for their accuracy.
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