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Sexual Dysfunction

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Handbook of Clinical Geropsychology

Part of the book series: The Springer Series in Adult Development and Aging ((SSAD))

Abstract

The general decline of frequency of sexual activity with age has been consistently documented since it was reported by Kinsey and his colleagues (Kinsey, Pomeroy, & Martin, 1948; Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin, & Gebhard, 1953). The Kinsey and Hunt (1974) surveys of nonrepresentative samples reported median weekly frequencies of intercourse declining from 2.5 to 3.3 for people aged 16 to 25 to 0.5 to 1 for those aged 46 to 60 (Seidman & Rieder, 1994). Pfeiffer, Verwoerdt, and Davis (1972) investigated 261 White men and 241 White women aged 46 to 71 chosen randomly from membership lists of the local medical group, so that they were broadly representative of the middle and upper socioeconomic levels of the community. Ninety-eight percent of the men and 71% of the women were married. Cessation of sexual intercourse was reported by 14%, 61%, and 73% of women and 0%, 20%, and 24% of men in the age ranges 46 to 50, 61 to 65, and 66 to 71; and frequencies of 2 to 3 or more times a week by 21%, 5%, and 0% of women and 33%, 7%, and 2% of men in these age ranges. Of 91 German women of slightly above average education, cessation of intercourse was reported by 26%, 77%, 79%, and 100% of those in the four age ranges from 50 to 59 to 80 to 91. The percentages in these age ranges without sexual partners were 15, 44, 75, and 92 (von Sydow, 1995).

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  1. Psychiatric Unit, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, 2031, New South Wales, Australia

    Nathaniel McConaghy

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  1. School of Professional Psychology, Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon, 97116, USA

    Michel Hersen

  2. Center for Psychological Studies, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 33314, USA

    Vincent B. Van Hasselt

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McConaghy, N. (1998). Sexual Dysfunction. In: Hersen, M., Van Hasselt, V.B. (eds) Handbook of Clinical Geropsychology. The Springer Series in Adult Development and Aging. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0130-9_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-0130-9_12

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