SEXUAL EXPRESSION AMONG 60-80-YEAR-OLD MEN AND WOMEN - A SAMPLE FROM STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

A questionnaire concerning physical and mental health, religion, loneliness, sexual interest and activity (masturbation, sexual intercourse) was sent by post to 1,574 randomly chosen persons, between 60–80 years of age, in the larger Stockholm area. The main findings from this survey were: sexual interest and activity are present even in older ages (i.e., sixty-one percent of the total group express their sexuality through intercourse, mutual sexual stimulation (other than intercourse), and masturbation). Also, men are significantly more sexual than women, in all ages and in all respects. However, sexual interest and activity decrease significantly in the higher ages (75-80 years), even though among married couples, almost one quarter of the subjects have intercourse at least sometime each month. Finally, in general, the religious respondents do not differ from the nonreligious respondents, either with respect to sexual interest, masturbation, or feelings of attraction to the same sex. © 1990, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. All rights reserved.