Sexuality is often associated with youthfulness, but it plays an important role in maintaining good health and wellbeing for older adults as well. Sexual engagement can foster emotional bonding, caregiving, and long-term relational satisfaction in older adults. Emotional bonding occurs when two people develop deep emotional connections through shared experiences, including physical intimacy. In older adults, this can be achieved through touch, caressing, kissing, massage, and sexual activity that are non-penetrative and involve skin-to-skin contact. Older adults who engage in these activities report feeling closer to their partner, more connected, and happier overall.
Caregiving involves providing support, nurturing, and assistance to others. Sexual engagement can help older adults provide better care for their partners by reducing stress and enhancing feelings of love, affection, and appreciation. This can lead to improved communication, trust, and understanding between partners, which in turn can strengthen their relationship. It also increases the frequency and quality of intimate interactions, making both parties feel valued and loved.
Long-term relational satisfaction refers to the level of happiness and fulfillment experienced in a relationship over time. Engaging in sexual activity can enhance relational satisfaction by creating a sense of closeness, trust, and intimacy. It also contributes to positive attitudes towards aging and life in general, improving mood and overall quality of life. When older adults experience regular sexual activity with their partner, they tend to have higher self-esteem, reduced anxiety, increased optimism, and less depression.
Sexual engagement is not just about pleasure; it has numerous benefits beyond just orgasm.
It releases hormones such as oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, which promote relaxation, calmness, and contentment. These hormones reduce inflammation, improve immunity, and lower blood pressure. In addition, sexual activity stimulates physical and mental activity, contributing to healthy cognitive function and reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Sexual engagement fosters emotional bonding, caregiving, and long-term relational satisfaction in older adults by promoting skin-to-skin contact, reducing stress, enhancing feelings of love and affection, and contributing to healthy living. It is an important aspect of relationships that should be prioritized for older adults who want to maintain good physical and psychological wellbeing.
How does sexual engagement foster emotional bonding, caregiving, and long-term relational satisfaction in older adults?
Emotional bonding is facilitated by sexual activity between partners when they are physically and emotionally comfortable with each other as well as have a deep understanding of one another's needs. Older adults who experience this level of intimacy tend to feel more secure about their relationship, which enhances trust and communication levels (Baumeister & Singer, 1996).