Love and sex in the elderly

The third Age

Entering what is considered third age does not have to mean the end of expressions of affection and sexuality, because the only thing that changes is the way of relating. The human being is capable of loving until his last moment; and this ability to give and receive love is always a spur for life.

There are studies that show that older people who enjoy a full love life have better results in physical and mental health, as well as a better quality of life, regardless of their associated pathologies.

The love relationship as a couple becomes a fundamental part of life in older people. Hugs, kisses and caresses, as well as knowing that they are loved offer a new dimension to people at this stage, whether we are talking about a couple with long years of living together or if it is a new and exciting relationship.

The stumbling block of the family

In general, the elderly show a great predisposition to mate, which they often fail to do due to the opposition of the family and their immediate surroundings. On numerous occasions, a man or woman who begins an emotional relationship with someone their age is disqualified. These cases are considered as a true attack on the "moral" norms of the family and society.

The toughest battle to accept a partner is sometimes fought in the family, in your own home. Children do not always understand the wishes of their parents and financial issues are raised as an insurmountable wall at times.

Relationships between contemporaries are better considered than those established when age differences are marked. But here there are big differences regarding gender: it is worse seen that women are the ones who have relationships with younger partners. However, when it is the other way around, the man is even smiled in an accomplice way.

Physical difficulties

But not only social rejection slows down these relationships, and more than age, disease sometimes influences: diabetes, cardiovascular and joint problems, the side effects of certain medications, etc. they are the ones who create difficulties to establish emotional and physical fullness in sentimental relationships.

However, on other occasions these "ailments" tend to be, at times, the trigger for the search for a relationship, to be accompanied, to be cared for while taking care of the other, to avoid loneliness, etc.

Once the relationship of affection is established, everything else follows. As they say, "people are not made of stone." And it is here where the one of the loved one appears, as in the other stages of life.

If the desire to physically feel the partner is the same at age 75 as at 25, putting it into practice is quite different. Sexual intercourse in the elderly is more widely spaced, slower, and with later reactions than in the younger adult, due to the physical changes caused by aging. In addition, on many occasions, pathologies such as cardiovascular ones will force us to modify some sexual patterns and habits, giving the opportunity to explore new ways of giving and receiving pleasure.

DID YOU KNOW..? Increasingly, older people find it less difficult to live their personal relationships in a full and adult way. The change in culture that is operating in our society has also reached many geriatric residences, which facilitate the development of these new relationships, providing common rooms for couples who decide to take the step of “living together”. Because older people are as capable as those of other ages to feel and give love and pleasure.