[Socialpsychological aspects of sexuality in old age (author's transl)].

In contrast to other existing studies, which mostly discuss the physical changes of human sexuality during age, this socialpsychological survey analyzes the existence and relevance of negative attitudes towards sexuality in old age and their relations to the sexual activity of older people. Though - according to the results of medicinal surveys - there is no biological limit for a satisfactory sexuality during old age, after personal interviews with 500 random sampled people the hypothesis was confirmed, that older people are often thought to be asexual. Especially older women, who in most cases have no more sexual relations, often believed sexuality in age to be inappropriate, indecent, perverse or even sinful. More than that it could be shown, that sexual inactivity of older people cannot be explained by detoriation of old age only - like illness or loss of partner -, but that the normative evaluation of sexuality is probably an important determinant also.