engleski

How stereotypes of aging and sexuality affect sexual behaviour, attitudes and well-being of older adults?

Objective Aging is accompanied with a set of stereotypes about older people which affect attitudes, beliefs and behaviours of older adults. They concern the decrease of abilities of older adults, both physical and mental, and age (in)appropriate behaviours. Common stereotype is that old people are asexual: that they have no more need or desire nor physical capability for sexual activities, that old bodies are anti-sexual and that any interest in sexuality is age inappropriate. These stereotypes persists despite research findings that large proportion of older adults do engage in sexual activities and that good health and partner status are better predictor of active sexual life in older age than chronological age. Goal of this qualitative study of Croatian older adults (>64) is to explore how they perceive these stereotypes and how they affect their attitudes, behaviours and well-being. Design and Method Semi-structured interviews with 30 participants (>64) were audio recorded and are being analysed using thematic analysis approach. Results Data analysis is currently going on and will be finished by the end of March. Preliminary results show that many of the participants are aware of the stereotypes of older people and sexuality, but are actively opposing them, and would like more opportunity for active sexual life. We expect further analysis to show differences in general well-being between those who do or do not conform to asexual aging stereotypes, and how perception of stereotypes models behaviour. Conclusions We expect to find that participants' behaviour and well-being are modelled by how they perceive stereotypes of aging and sexuality.

Older adults, sexuality, sterotypes, ageism, sexual behaviour, attitudes

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