Suchergebnisse

AbstractThis study explores the connection between relationship duration and feelings of closeness in Norwegian men and women, and the association with sexual satisfaction and activity. A sample of 4160 Norwegians aged 18–89 years was enrolled from a randomly selected web panel of 11,685 Norwegians. This study focused on participants who were married or cohabiting (1432 men, 1207 women). Closeness was the highest for men and women who had been with their partner for 0−6 years. However, among those who had been with their partner for 31 years or longer, men felt closer to their partners than women. Irrespective of relationship duration, the most important factor for both men and women's perceived closeness with their partner was general sexual satisfaction. Among men who had lived with their partner for 7−20 years and 31 years or longer, having been monogamous in life was significantly associated with "inclusion of others in the self" (IOS). Further, closeness was associated with higher intercourse frequency, lower masturbation frequency, and satisfaction with genital appearance in men who had been with their partners for 31 years or more. Intercourse frequency was significantly associated with IOS in women who had been with their partner for 0−6 years. Furthermore, in women who had been with their partner for 31 years or more, satisfaction with their own weight was important for IOS. In conclusion, men and women reported similar degrees and patterns of IOS up to the point where they had been in their relationship for more than 30 years. Thereafter, women reported feeling less close to their partners, while men's feelings of closeness increased. This may be related to physiological, psychological, and social changes in the lives of aging men and women.

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which Norwegians are satisfied with their singlehood, and to determine the association between being single and sexual activity. Data were obtained from a questionnaire survey of a representative web sample of 1076 unpartnered individuals (568 women, 508 men) aged 18–89 years. A total of 45.2% of the single respondents reported being satisfied with being single, while 33.9% reported being unsatisfied. There was no difference between the age groups in men, but more women aged 45 years or older than women under the age of 45 were satisfied with being single. A higher percentage of gay, bisexual, and transmen than heterosexual men was satisfied with being single. More women who had not been sexually active with a partner in the past year were satisfied with being single than were women who had been sexually active. The men who were most satisfied with being single were those who had masturbated and/or had sexual intercourse, and least satisfied were those with no sexual activity, or exclusively masturbation activity. The results are discussed in terms of biological, psychological, and social positions.

AbstractOlder adults face age-related changes as well as stigma in relation to their bodies and sexuality, challenging their understanding of themselves as sexual, thought to impact both sexual desire, activity and satisfaction. A qualitative study with a semi-structured interview was completed with 32 people, aged 65–85, to investigate how older people construct understanding of their self as sexual in an ageing body. The analysis generated two main themes; "Positions of the ageing body as sexual", with three subthemes, and "Negotiating change, transitions in identities", with two sub themes. Results showed variations in participants' thoughts about their body and how either appearance, agency or body function influenced different aspects of current sexuality and sexual satisfaction, and understandings of self. Statements showed examples of both internalized ageist understandings of the ageing body as sexual, but also rejections or low relevance of ageist attitudes in the understandings of present body image and sexual satisfaction. Results showed differences in how changes were understood and negotiated either through enhancement strategies or through cognitive-emotional, and social regulation. The findings demonstrated paradoxes and contradictions in the understanding and management of the ageing body and sexual satisfaction, where variations were found along but also across the divides of gender, relationship status and quality, sexual orientation, self-esteem and age cohorts. Implications indicate that health care strategies and policies should understand sexual ageing from a developmental perspective to support individual projects of developing affirmative and adjusted identities as sexual in an ageing body.