The document discusses various aspects of sexuality throughout adulthood, including establishing sexual orientation in early adulthood, redefining sexuality and dealing with biological changes in middle adulthood, and addressing stereotypes and health issues related to sexuality in late adulthood. Key topics covered include sexual development, relationships, orientation, cohabitation, parenting, and the impact of aging on sexuality. Statistics and surveys are presented on topics like sexual activity levels and satisfaction at different life stages.

1. Chapter Seven
SEXUALITY IN ADULTHOOD

2. Sexuality in Adulthood
 Mature sexual expression
 Sexual orientation is determined
 Integrate sexuality and relationships
 Establish personal sexual philosophy
 Changes occur as we age
 Health issues change

3. Developmental Concerns
 Establishing sexual orientation
 Integrating love and sex
 Forging intimacy and making commitments
 Making fertility/childbearing decisions
 Practicing safer sex
 Evolving a sexual philosophy

4. Establishing Sexual Orientation
 Understanding your sexual orientation
 Accepting your sexual orientation
 It may be difficult

5. Statistics on Sexual Orientation
 Difficult to obtain reliable statistics vs. estimates due
to stigma
 10% women report lesbian orientation
 4% men report gay or bisexual orientation
 A great deal of experiential diversity is reported

6. The Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Identity Process
 Takes time and includes several phases
 Homoeroticism
 Fear or suspicion about being different
 Labels feelings of desire, attraction, and love as
“gay” or “lesbian”
 Self-definition as gay, lesbian, or bisexual

7. The Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual Identity Process—
Additional Phases
 First same-sex love affair, marking commitment to unifying
sexuality and affection
 Becoming involved in gay/lesbian/bisexual culture
 Coming out
 Internalized homophobia

8. Being Single
 Greater sexual experience
 Widespread acceptance of cohabitation
 Unintended pregnancies
 Increased numbers of abortions and births to
single women
 Greater numbers of separated and divorced
single men and women
 A rise in the number of single-parent families

9. The College Environment
 College dating is different from high school dating
 How so?
 Sexuality relates to self identity
 Moral standards tied to behavior
 Liberating atmosphere for gay, lesbian, and bisexual students

10. The Singles World
 Ages 25-40
 Emphasize recreation and entertainment
 Challenge to meet potential partners
 Sexual experimentation
 Gay, lesbian, bisexual businesses and
neighborhoods promote acceptance
 Ethnic and religion expectations can pose
special challenges

11. Cohabitation
 2000 census: over 10 million unmarried couples
were reported
 1 in 4 women and 3 in 10 men
 New norm
 Domestic partnership
 Serial monogamy

12. Cohabitation: Advantages
 Financial
 Egalitarian roles
 Affirmation of relationship
 Domestic partner benefits

13. Cohabitation: Disadvantages
 Parental non-acceptance
 Financial issues tied to parental support or credit
 Reproduction
 Extra relational sex
 Increased likelihood of divorce after marriage

14. Cohabitation: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
Couples
 One in 9 couples cohabitating were same sex in
2000
 States are currently dealing with legal forms of union
for same sex couples

15. Cohabitation: Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual Issues
 Stigma of casual relationships
 Marriage is not available
 Non-exclusive sexuality
 Devaluing love
 Non-traditional gender roles
 Societal hostility

16. Sexuality in Middle Adulthood:
Developmental Concerns
 Redefining sex in marital or other long-term
relationships
 Reevaluating one’s sexuality
 Accepting the biological aging process

17. Marital Sexuality
 Frequency of sexual interactions
 May occur more frequently with sanction of marriage
 May decrease the longer a couple is together
 Sexual satisfaction and pleasure are reported more
commonly in married couples

18. Marital Sexuality
 The moral and social sanction of sex within marriage can
affect sex life
 Sexual intercourse tends to decrease in frequency the longer a
couple is married
 Decreased frequency does not indicate decreased importance or
enjoyment
 Fatigue and lack of private time are important factors
 Sexual satisfaction and pleasure are higher in marriage than in
singlehood

19. Divorce and After
 Post-divorce singlehood is a relatively new
phenomenon
 In 2000, 10% of men and 13% of women were either
separated or divorced
 Scholars suggest that divorce represents an idealization of
marriage
 Higher expectations lead to higher failure rates
 The permanence of marriage is no longer widely upheld

20. Consequences of Divorce
 Stigmatization
 Change of income
 Higher incidence of physical and emotional problems
 Significantly more problems with children
 Children of one parent families may have special
issues

21. Dating Again
 Engaging in sexual behavior with someone following
separation is significant
 Helps people accept their single status
 Freedom of expression
 Dating is more focused and less leisurely

22. Single Parenting
 31% of families are headed by single parents
 Single parents not often part of the “singles world”
 Presence of children affects divorced women’s
sexual activity

23. Sexuality in Late Adulthood: Developmental
Concerns
 Biological changes
 Changing with physical abilities
 Changes in sexual response
 Availability of a partner
 Spousal loss
 Monotony
 Psychological influences
 Psychological influences

24. Stereotypes of Aging
 Thought of as a lonely and depressing time
 Sexuality of older Americans tends to be invisible
 Sexuality is defined by activities of younger
participants
 Emotional, sensual, and relational aspects is not
readily recognized

25. Sexuality and Aging
 The emotional, sensual, and relationship aspects of
sexuality are enjoyed regardless of age
 Sexual activities occur in aging population
 Health can affect sexual habits
 Medical definition of sexual practices

26. AARP 2005 Survey
 1/3 of respondents report having sexual intercourse
weekly
 Majority agreed emphasis on sex is excessive
 2/3 discuss sexual satisfaction
 Health influences sexual satisfaction
 Many have identified issues to increase satisfaction

27. Women’s Issues
 Change in fertility
 Menstruation loss
 Menopausal symptoms
 Hot flashes
 Loss of bone mass
 Changes in vagina

28. Differences Women Report
Pre- and Post-Menopause
 Majority report sexual activity and rate sexual activity
as important
 Over one third report decreased desire but not
decreased satisfaction
 20% report sex may be painful
 Ethnic differences for sexual activity were not found

29. Men’s Issues
 Male climacteric: Age 40 to 60
 Less than 20% report difficulty with erection
 Slower sexual responses may be reported
 Slower responses are not related to ability to give or
receive pleasure

30. Summary
 Early adulthood
 Middle adulthood
 Late adulthood