Velhice ativa: a vivência afetivo-sexual da pessoa idosa

Abstract

At the current context, the elderly have lived a more active life when they rediscover their own sexuality. In this study 10 interviews were carried out with the elders from Open University to the Third Age of the State University of São Paulo (UNATI/UNESP), being five men and five women aiming to understand their aging process and the meaning they attribute to their sexual-affection experience. It is a qualitative research made up by the statements recorded from the interviews in which the interviewee had been previously oriented to answer the following proposed question: “tell me about your sexual-affection experience throughout your life and through your elderly years”. To analyze the corpus a phenomenological method was used. It consisted in reading and rereading, differing standpoints, elaborating categories, and making a distinction between convergence and divergence of speeches. Possessing the given statements and their complete transcription, the comprehension and interpretation process was started. In a unique way, from the elderly speeches, five categories came out: active elderly years, sexual-affection experience, sexually transmitted infections reality (ISTs), the marriage horizon and the aging transfigurations. The elderly speeches brought up the challenges they have to face in this stage of life. These reflections allowed us to realize the existing need to deconstruct ideas and prejudice which obstruct a wide comprehension of the aging process and its singularities.