Introduction: Expression of sexual desire is recognized as one of the important aspects of sexual life throughout the life course. Nevertheless, older adults experience many barriers to the expression of their sexual needs and desires. Thus, this study explored the barriers to the expression of sexual desires in the older ages. Materials and Methods: A qualitative study with a conventional content analysis approach was conducted. Nineteen elderly males and females over 60 years participated in this study using purposive sampling and considering the utmost variety. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews until data saturation and concurrently analyzed via MAXQDA 10. Results: The decline of sex life, traces of the sufferings of life, sexually discouraging behaviors, and stereotypes in sexuality emerged from data analysis as the main considerations of expression of sexual desires in the older ages. Conclusion: Sexual function in old age is a phenomenon affected by various factors with different natures. This phenomenon is overshadowed by physical condition, marital distress, stereotypical beliefs about sex in old age, and perceived feedback from the sexual partner. Accordingly, individual, cultural, and social interventions are recommended. |
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