https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/18/older-people-ageing-myths-busted
What is the message of the popular media cartoon, or advertisement?
The advert presents a utopian impression of a sexually active elderly couple. Evidently, the couple is intimately engaged in passionate kissing as part of their foreplay before making love. The depiction of the picture further portrays an elderly couple with a youthful sexual desire, eroticism and other emotions that depicts sexual functioning ( Erber and Lenore, 2015) . In fact the couple is stark naked showing that they have been into more of foreplay than just kissing. Also, more stunningly, the physique of the couple defies biological description of elderly persons. For instance, only the grey hair and facial expression betrays the man’s old age. Otherwise, his face is unbelievably smooth without the usual wrinkles expected from an elderly man. The woman similarly reflects a sexy physique that defies her old age with a muscular smooth back and arms. Her nails are also sexily polished like those of a young damsel and her fingers are also in top shape. The only mark of her elderly age is her grayish eyelashes. Furthermore, the couple’s kissing reflects a passionate rather than mechanistic love making as betrayed by the emotions that drives them to close their eyes.
The advert goes further to cite statistics that refutes developmental theories on sexuality of elderly persons. Among them include a research that shows that three-quarters of elderly persons both men and women at the age of seventy five to eighty five years identify satisfactory sex as basic to continuity of their relationships (Kristiansen and Sandberg, 2017) .
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What examples of physiological, psychological, or social aspects of sexual development are conveyed? Explain.
Despite its superfluous sexual graphics, the advert confirms scholars emphasizes on health problems as the major cause of sexual dysfunction in elderly people rather than their old age. In absence of physical, psychological, mental, physiological or emotional infirmity an elderly couple has the same sexual capability as a young couple as demonstrated by the advert. As demonstrated by the advert an elderly couple still attaches great importance to sexual activity. A general disinterest in sexual activity among elderly people therefore results from pressure to substitute sexual priorities with concerns over physical fitness due to illnesses. Health reasons rather than elderly age leads to decrease in sexual enthusiasm in elderly persons.
Psychological infirmity also leads to sexual dysfunction in elderly person. In the absence of psychological infirmities such as stress and depression an elderly couple is able to continue with active sexual engagement as demonstrated by the passionate love making of the stress free couple. Psychiatrists tendencies to treat sexual history of elderly people as insignificant in their treatment of elderly patients therefore compounds sexual dysfunction problems among elderly population. Instead, psychiatrists pay more attention to sexual history and sexual dysfunction among the young population with no interventions to address sexual dysfunctions of elderly people. As demonstrated by the advert the sexual history and sexuality of elderly person is equally important as that of young people. Despite lack of procreation goals in sexual activity of elderly people their sexuality influences their mental health as demonstrated by the psychological and mental contentment of the couple in the advert. Address of sexual dysfunction among elderly persons is therefore important for psychiatrists and other healthcare practitioners as a predictor of mental health.
As demonstrated by the advert, aging in itself does not cause sexual dysfunction. Instead infirmity and medication procedures are the main cause of sexual dysfunction among elderly persons. Evidently, empirical evidence shows a link between male sexual dysfunctions such as hypogonadism and erectile dysfunction, and medications such as prostatic surgery or illnesses such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, which are common among elderly persons. Aging is therefore an integral rather than the sole cause of physiological impotency in elderly persons especially the incapability for a sufficient erection to engage in sexual intercourse. As demonstrated by the couple in the advert, in the absence of a muscle wasting and physiologically disorienting disease, an elderly man still maintains physiological potency sufficient to satisfy a woman sexually whether young or old. Alternatively, a wealth of medication is available for treatment of erectile dysfunction in elderly men including oral phosphodiesterase blockers such as Viagra. Other erectile dysfunction medications include penile injections, penile prostheses, intraurethral suppositories and vacuum devices.
The standing position of the couple in the advert suggests a non-penetrative form of sex as opposed to penetrative sex in a lying position. Result to non-penetrative sex by the couple reflects the incurable sexuality problems among elderly women especially urogenital atrophy characterized by soreness, itching or dryness of the vagina that makes sex unbearably painful. Despite probably suffering from urogenital atrophy the woman maintains her eroticism sexuality including sexual arousal and desire as well as orgasm as betrayed by the tightly shut eyes. Unfortunately, unlike in the case of men, geriatrics have been less concerned in finding cure for sexual dysfunction among women. Invisibility of the woman’s facial expression in the advert similarly serves as an allegory of the myriads of psychosocial problems associated with sexual dysfunctions in women, which includes impact on their interpersonal relationships, emotional health and physique. The couple’s choice of a standing rather than lying position also suggests the woman’s inability lie on her back. Nevertheless, the woman still maintains her sexual interest despite her probable physical incapacity as demonstrated by her receptiveness to the sexual intimacy (Heath, 2019) .
The advert also unearths practical hurdles to elderly couples sexual intimacy. Such obstacles include death, divorce or separation from a partner or poor health. Institutionalization of elderly persons also deprive them privacy necessary for sexual intimacy. Reluctance to pursue medical cure for sexual dysfunction or open up on sexuality problems to physicians also contributes to sexuality issues among elderly population. Elderly persons are also afraid to disclose their sexual dysfunctions to geriatrics practitioners wrest the practitioner considers them a sex addicts or disorderly maniacs for participating in sex past the ostensibly normal age. Stereotypes against sex among old people also bar elderly people from revealing their sexual dysfunctions. The public display of the couple in the suggestive position therefore serves as a metaphorical challenge for old people to open up and look for cure on sexuality problems.
The advert therefore serves as an allegory to the LGBT “coming-out” parades. In particular, the public display of the elderly couple’s erotic intimacy serves as a public indictment to sexuality myths about elderly people. Among the myths debunked by the suggestive advert include the popular belief in asexuality of old people or their inability to have or practice sexual desires. Instead, the advert shows that elderly people enjoys sexual activity like everybody else.
References
Erber and Lenore T Szuchman, J. T. (2015, February 18). Do older people lose interest in sex? Ten myths of ageing – debunked. Retrieved June 11, 2019, from https://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/feb/18/older-people-ageing-myths-busted
Heath, H. (2019). Sexuality and sexual intimacy in later life. Nursing Older People, 31 (1), 40-48.
Kristiansen, H. W., & Sandberg, L. J. (2017). Older Men’s Experiences of Sexuality and their Relevance for Sexual Rights. Addressing the Sexual Rights of Older People, 42-55.
