title: [Aging and sexuality].
abstract: This contribution describes sexual desire, activity and satisfaction of people aged 45-91 years on the basis of an empirical study conducted in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Sexual desire and activity diminish with age but there is a great variability. Sexual satisfaction remains stable in elderly people. Physical, hormonal and neuronal changes cause a greater vulnerability for sexual problems but relationship, psychosocial and biographical factors as well as coping strategies have a strong moderating effect. The medicalization of the sexuality of aging people is critically depicted. Recommendations for health care practitioners are given.
authors.affiliation: Psychologisches Institut, Sozial- und Gesundheitspsychologie, Universität Zürich, Rämistrasse 66, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland. tobu@sozpsy.unizh.ch
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bucher
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019529:Sexuality / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology