The whole notion of elderly persons having sexual relations is somehow perverse. Yet, for the elderly, the ability to remain sexually active is a major concern in their lives. Fear about the loss of sexual prowess in older males is common. Older women also express sexual desires, but may fear their interest is undignified and disgraceful. Some elderly persons may even freely accept their interests in sex, but their children or grandchildren may disapprove, making them feel guilty.
Elderly women can fare even worse in the public eye.
They are the neuters of our culture. The great mystique of turning from the twenty something desirable and sexy younger woman, to the thirty something mature and intriguing woman and on to the steady decline in the fifties and sixties when a woman becomes a sexual non-being. Nursing homes and senior residences contribute to the impression that the elderly are sexless. There are no provisions made in many senior institutions for privacy. There even seems to be an unspoken agreement that the elderly must be prevented from having any sexual contact.