ABSTRACT
The sexual health of older women as a goal and a right is examined in relation to the definition supplied by the World Health Organization (2006). Barriers to sexual health, including subscription to ageist, sexist, and heteronormative standards that homogenize women, are examined. Cultural, relational, and medical discourses serve to regulate, control and judge older women’s sexuality. Within these discourses, older women are frequently viewed as lacking sexual desire and desirability and suffering from sexual decline and dysfunction. The relational context of women’s sexuality is emphasized, and the heteronormative and androcentric nature of cultural scripts regulating women’s sexuality are critically examined. Variability, intersectionality, and the potential for change are emphasized. The idea of “normative” sexuality for older women is challenged, and a sex-positive perspective is proposed that allows for a proliferation of women’s sexualities and advocates for the celebration of diversity in sexual practice and preference throughout the lifespan.
