Sex & Aging - Research Paper Example

Phanjoo says about the reason for society’s sexual dysfunction in elders is, “the social attitudes and beliefs that consider sexual behavior as inappropriate, repugnant or abnormal in old age will contribute to such behavior” (Phanjoo, 2011). As men and women progress in their age, their sexual drive in them is changed downwards. The decrease in sexual drive in the old affects their performance and satisfaction. So age acts as a barrier to the sexual relations of persons. Further, the intensity of sexual responses at a particular age is different in males and females.

The essay tries to analyze how age interferes with the sexual relations of old couples. The aspect of sexual satisfaction in males and females is different. The sexual satisfaction factors, involved in sexual satisfaction, are relationship status, individual age during the relationship, and the age of the relationship. A survey conducted among men and women in five countries proves that “relationship satisfaction in men depended on health, physical intimacy, and sexual functioning, while in women only sexual functioning predicted relationship satisfaction” (Heiman, 2011, p.741). In the analysis of sexual satisfaction, it was found that among men longer relationship duration predicted greater relationship happiness and sexual satisfaction whereas women in longer relationships showed less relationship satisfaction (Heiman, 2011, p.741). It has been further found that physical intimacy acts as a prime factor for sexual satisfaction in men.

Androgen plays a major role in the sexual function of a male. The increase in the androgen level in a male body parallels the increase in testosterone, thus enabling him to the sexual activity. The amount of Androgen produced in the male at the middle age is decreased considerably and so the male faces setbacks in his sexual relationships. Just like menopause in women, men face a kind of andro-pause. The main problem that the male experiences at this time is concerned with the erection of the sexual organ.