ABSTRACT
The sexualities of older men are ambiguous and ridden with contradictions. Some men's sexual attractiveness is more readily recognized, also as they become older. This chapter highlights older men's diverse experiences and attitudes toward sexuality in later life and how these can be understood and translated into improved understanding of their sexual rights. Three ways in which men relate to sexuality in later life are elaborated on in the following: aspirations to continued sexual assertion, potency and performance; renouncing sexuality; and redefining and broadening concepts of sex and sexuality. There are also differences between men with respect to whether the renunciations of sexuality are voluntary and experienced as a freedom or if they were felt as involuntary. Both heterosexual and non-heterosexual men report that sexual interest and desire may decline as one ages. For some heterosexual men, experiences of ageing embodiment, including but not limited to a decline in erectile function, meant an increasing focus on wider pleasures.
