Sexuality and the Adult Years

Single Living

• Increasing rates of single living may reflect changing societal attitudes.

• Lifestyles and satisfaction vary widely among single individuals.

  • Celibacy or long-term monogamy

  • Serial monogamy

• Single persons engage in sexual activity less often and are less satisfied than married persons.

Sexuality in Adolescence

• Average age of first intercourse is between 15 and 17.

• Adolescents and STIs:

  • Inconsistent condom use among adolescents is a concern.

• Teen oral sex:

  • Often unprotected.

  • 50% of individuals aged 15-19 engage in oral sex.

• Pregnancy in adolescence:

  • Emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) are available.

• Teen pregnancies, births, and abortions have been steadily declining since 1991.

Data on Sexual Intercourse Among High School Students (2011)

• Total (all grades): 47.4%

• 9th grade: 32.9%

• 10th grade: 43.8%

• 11th grade: 53.2%

• 12th grade: 63.1%

• Black students report higher rates of sexual intercourse compared to Hispanic and White students.

  • Total: 60.0%

  • 9th grade: 48.2%

  • 10th grade: 58.4%

  • 11th grade: 63.6%

  • 12th grade: 73.9%

• Hispanic students

  • Total: 48.6%

  • 9th grade: 36.8%

  • 10th grade: 46.5%

  • 11th grade: 56.0%

  • 12th grade: 60.0%

• White students

  • Total: 44.3%

  • 9th grade: 27.3%

  • 10th grade: 38.4%

  • 11th grade: 50.5%

  • 12th grade: 62.5%

Sexuality in Adulthood

• Sexual problems typically result from changing conditions in a couple’s life:

  • Loss of sexual desire

  • Lack of sexual arousal

  • Delayed orgasm

  • Painful sex

  • Menopause

Adult Intimate Relationships

• Cohabitation:

  • Living together without legally marrying.

  • Approximately 10% of adults are currently cohabitating.

• Marriage:

  • About 90% of all heterosexual adults in the U.S. will marry at some point.

  • Median age at marriage has increased since 1980:

  • Men: 28 years (up 4 years from 1980)

  • Women: 26 years (up 4 years from 1980)

Marriage

• Defines rights of inheritance.

• Regulates sexual behavior.

• Provides an emotional and social support system.

• Stable families convey social norms.

• Takes different forms in different cultures.

• Associated with better health.

• Includes same-sex and interracial marriage.

Changing Expectations and Marital Patterns

• There is a discrepancy between the American marriage ideal and actual practices.

• Unrealistic expectations of fulfillment in marriage.

• Lack of preparation for daily marital issues.

• People are living longer.

Predicting Marital Satisfaction (Gottman’s Research)

• Based on heterosexual couples.

• The ratio of positive to negative comments predicts satisfaction.

  • Emotional bank account: maintaining a balance of positive interactions.

  • Key Ratio: Five positive interactions for every one negative interaction (5:1).

Patterns in Adult Partnerships

• Trends in being single, marriage, and divorce:

  • Delaying marriage: increasing median age of marriage.

  • Women: 26 years

  • Men: 28 years

  • Moving away from traditional family dynamics.

  • Over 50% of divorced people remarry.

  • 40% divorce again within 10 years.

Divorce and Cohabitation Statistics

• 20% of couples will divorce within 5 years.

• 33% will divorce within 10 years.

• Nearly 50% will divorce within 15 years.

• Cohabitation:

  • 50% of cohabitating couples will break up within 5 years.

  • 62% will break up by the 10th year.

Men's Cohabitation Rates by Educational Level

• Men aged 22-44 currently cohabitating (Martinez et al., 2006):

• No high school diploma or GED: ~10%

• High school diploma or GED: ~10%

• Some college: ~15%

• Bachelor’s degree or higher: ~5%

Divorce

• 96% of people will marry.

• Almost half of all first marriages end in divorce.

• Reasons for high divorce rate:

  • Increased expectations for marital and sexual fulfillment.

  • No-fault divorce laws.

  • Reduction in social stigma associated with divorce.

  • Women’s economic independence.

Reasons People Give for Divorce

• Communication problems.

• Basic unhappiness.

• Incompatibility.

• Drug abuse and physical abuse.

Nonmonogamy

Consensual Extramarital Relationships

• Cultural differences:

  • Most cultures have restrictive norms, often more restrictive for women.

• Consensual forms:

  • Swinging

  • Open marriage

  • Polyamory

Sexuality in Adults

• Consensual

  • Swinging

  • Open Relationships

  • Hooking up

  • Polygamy

  • Friends with benefits

  • Polyamory

  • Booty calls

  • Throuple or Triad

  • Considerations: Initiation, interest, risks, benefits, and the rules of the relationship.

Adult Partnerships

• Monogamy and Extradyadic Relationships:

  • Monogamy: a relationship with only one partner.

  • Extradyadic relationships: relationships outside the primary one.

  • Infidelity: violation of an agreement of fidelity.

  • Consensual adultery.

  • Polygamy: multiple spouses with knowledge and consent

  • Polyandry: one woman with multiple husbands.

Primary Parent Family Dynamic

• Primary Parent:

  • A. Married

  • B. Divorced-Single

  • C. Remarried

  • D. Cohabitating

  • E. Single - Never married

• Traditional

• Both parents working

• Single parent

Sexuality and Aging

• Aging is often associated with a sexless time of life, particularly for widows/widowers.

• Double standard for aging:

  • Older women marrying younger men.

• Health is crucial to sexual well-being.

• Use it or Lose it!

• Satisfaction from kissing, caressing, holding, cuddling, and other types of lovemaking is important.

Widowhood

• Widows to widowers ratio = 4:1

• Older people remain interested in sex even when no partner is available.

• Nursing Homes present challenges due to lack of privacy.

Sexual Activity in Later Years

• Among sexually active adults over age 60:

  • 61% said their sex life today was either the same or more physically satisfying than in their 40s.

• Factors that maintain activity:

  • Prior interest in sexual activity

  • Regularity of sexual activity

  • Good physical health

Sexuality among Older Adults

• Sexual problems:

  • Women:

  • Sexual desire

  • Vaginal lubrication

  • Reaching orgasm

  • Men:

  • Erection problems

Sexual Effects of Illness

• Illnesses that can affect sexuality:

  • Arthritis

  • Diabetes

  • Hypertension

  • Chronic fatigue syndrome

  • Mental illness

  • Neurological disorders

  • Multiple sclerosis

  • Stroke

  • Cardiovascular disease or heart attacks

  • Chronic lung disease

  • Cancer and its treatments

• Side effects of medication can also impact sexual function.

Sexuality and Aging: Homosexual Relationships in Later Years

• Same-sex sexual activity in later years is similar to heterosexual activity.

• Lesbian advantages:

  • Less likely to be widowed.

  • Higher pool of alternatives for partnership.

  • Less affected by the aging double standard.

The median age for men getting married is 28 years old, while the median age for women is 26 years old.

Serial monogamy: Single Celibacy or long-term monogamy

Polyamory is a consensual extramarital relationship.