Development of Sexual Behavior

Stages of Development: Old Age

Erotic Behavior 1

Old age can very well be a time of erotic fulfillment. However, this is possible only if women and men accept their physical decline and compensate it with deeper intimancy. In the process, they have to develop a new attitude toward themselves and their partners, and they have to modify some of their previous behavior patterns. For example: One unnecessary problem for older couples may be the fixation on the sex organs and on orgasm. Unfortunately, in our modern world, this fixation is part of a larger cultural script which is offered and endlessly repeated by the mass media with their emphasis on youth, beauty, and energy. However, if uncritically adopted, the script leads to a distortion of sexual relationships. This may not be immediately apparent to younger adults. After all, as long as a couple remains otherwise vigorous, the distortion, although dimly perceived, may seem tolerable and manageable. However, with advancing age and waning strength, females and males may have to restore the lost balance if they want to continue their sexual communication. For aging couples it is usually much more rewarding to explore the whole body as an erogenous zone, to take advantage of all forms of sexual communication, and to concentrate more on the process than on its possible climax. Indeed, old age may be a time when both partners discover the difference between “sex” and eroticism, and when their erotic behavior becomes more satisfying even as their sexual responses weaken. In this sense, their capacity for happiness may continue to grow as long as they live. This is true for couples of different sex as well as those of the same sex. As long as the relationship remains intact, it undergoes the same changes and offers the same chances for personal growth.