Vivência da sexualidade na terceira idade: percepções de homens e mulheres.

Abstract

Sexuality in the third age, as well as in the other age groups, doesn't only refer to the sexual act itself, but to the exchange of affection, caress, companionship, among others, that could be lived in the most varied possible ways, once it determines the most private and deepest way of the individual to express his being masculine and her being feminine, independently which age they have. This paper was developed with the objectives of investigating the understanding that men and women in the third age have about the sexuality, to identify the principal factors related to the men's sexuality and women of the third age, and to compare as men and women in the third age live their sexuality. The used methodology was of exploratory nature, with a quanti-qualitative data analysis type, collected through interview, with semi-structured guide. "The quantitative data were represented by tables and the qualitative data through pictures, being used the collective subject's speech. The sample was constituted by 30 seniors registered in the Family Health Unit: Maria Jose de Jesus. The results revealed that most of those seniors is of the feminine gender (73,3%), presenting age between 71-80 years (46,6%), widowers (46,6%), with low education level, having in their predominance not concluded elementary school (63,3%), retired (93,3%), with a family income of 1 - 4 minimum wages (100%). Of the qualitative analysis, the guiding questions made several categories to emerge, as follows: What is sexuality? Sexuality is the couple's sexual life; I don't know how to say what sexuality is; which are factors that interfere in your sexuality? The health problems which are many; the financial factor; and, there isn't any factor that interferes; How does your age interfere in your sexuality? It interferes in everything because when we are old everything changes; it doesn't interfere in any way; how do your friends and religion interfere in your sexuality? They don't interfere in anything in my life, not but in a positive way; how do your habits and habitudes (culture) interfere in your sexuality? The way I was raised by my parents interferes until today in my life; how do you live your sexuality in this phase of life? Practically I don't live it; I don't have sex in my life anymore for a long time. Starting from the analysis it could be observed that the seniors interviewees don't live their sexuality, once they were raised in a repressing age, having influence in their lives until the current days; besides, they ignore the real meaning of the word sexuality, what hinders their experiences. It is suggested that other discussions are made on the above-mentioned theme and, may the same could be extended broadly to the society.