Older people do not always manage to talk about sexuality with their doctor. They therefore exchange on online forums. Between advice and complaints, the posts are numerous.
Connected and sexually active! Old people continue to copulate. And in the absence of being able to talk about it with the doctor, the seniors exchange advice on the forums. This is the observation of a study published in the Journal of Leisure Research. Senior Internet users still deplore a taboo in society.
In this population, many are those who evoke a doctor who prefers to ignore this subject and dismiss it out of hand. The most connected seniors therefore turn to online forums. “Websites aimed at older people provide this population with new opportunities to discuss and explore their sexuality,” say the authors of the study.
Satisfy a need for information
Of the 14 forums for seniors analyzed in the study, three main themes emerge: health problems and life events that affect sexuality, the difficulty of discussing this subject with a health professional, limited access to sexual health information. For this, the two researchers collected the archives of the sites over a year, filtered the posts according to keywords related to sex. This is called netnography, an ethnography of online behavior.
“Many older people maintain a real interest in sex and are very involved in sexual activities,” concludes Dr. Liza Berdychevsky, co-author of the study. The popularity of sex-related conversations in forums suggests that because of limited opportunities to talk about sex openly and directly, older people are finding other ways to satisfy their need for information and support. And the readings are numerous: some posts reach up to 5,000 views.
More comfortable with their sexuality
In addition to the difficulties, senior Internet users exchange advice on age differences between partners, marriage between people of the same sex, pornography, prostitution… and even the use of sex toys and drugs! And these free conversations have a real impact on their sexuality.
“The most significant changes (…) take place on the cognitive and emotional level, summarizes Dr. Galit Nimrod, co-author of the study. This results in an increased feeling of sexual pleasure, fullness, fewer inhibitions, and a better understanding of oneself and others. »
