There are several myths and sayings in relation to sexuality and aging in our current society, such as ‘you can’t fire up an old engine’, or ‘older people lose their ability to perform sexually after a certain age’, and ‘elderly people are not attractive, and therefore not desirable’.
The reason is that in our society, sexuality is associated with youth. Young people are considered sexual beings and more attractive. That is probably the reason that so many (older) adults are trying to look as young as possible. This means that when people age, they are considered to be losing their sexuality.
This all leads to the all over encompassing #1 myth of old age, namely that ‘older adults are asexual’. Being asexual – in this case – means that a person is not only uninterested in sex, and also incapable of sex. What these societal stereotypes are saying is that when you age, sex goes downhill and older people lose interest in sex as they get older.
The # 1 myth around sexuality and aging has been around since ages. There are even old plays and books that go back to the old Greek that discuss this myth. Since it has been around so long, it has been embedded in our society so strongly that most people don’t even realize it’s a myth.
Some people might think that there must be some truth to it, as it has been embedded in our society for centuries. However, I can assure you it is not true. Recent research as well as most older adults will assure you that they are very much interested in sex. And sexual interest doesn’t decrease with age. There, it’s said!