De las disfunciones a los problemas sexuales en la vejez: el quebrantamiento del saber médico desde una comparativa generacional

Aina Faus Bertomeu; Arantxa Grau i Muñoz

doi:10.22325/fes/res.2022.110

From dysfunctions to sexual problems at elderly: the breakdown of medical knowledge from a generational comparison

Authors

Aina Faus Bertomeu Universitat de València https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4421-744X
Arantxa Grau i Muñoz Universitat de València https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3920-0088

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22325/fes/res.2022.110

Keywords:

sociology of health, sociology of sexuality, sexual dysfunction, ageism, gender

Abstract

In health institutions, sexual dysfunctions are the central axis of sexual health programs for the elderly. From the sociological point of view, two approaches can be distinguished: one based on the biomedical model that conceives them as diseases; and in opposition to this, another one that uses the term "sexual problem" by adopting the biopsychosocial model. The conceptualization of sexual dysfunctions and problems in the Spanish population is explored in this paper. A generational and gender analysis is carried out using the National Sexual Health Survey (ENSS, 2009). This survey is representative for the whole Spanish population. The results show that sexual discomfort is experienced throughout the life course and is not exclusive to old age. The reproductive sexual model, promoted by biomedical institutions, causes sexual discomfort by restricting sexual practices to sexual intercourse and by constraining the expression of sexual desire and pleasure.

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Published

2022-03-29

How to Cite

Faus Bertomeu, A., & Grau i Muñoz, A. (2022). From dysfunctions to sexual problems at elderly: the breakdown of medical knowledge from a generational comparison. Spanish Journal of Sociology, 31(2), a110. https://doi.org/10.22325/fes/res.2022.110

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Issue

Vol. 31 No. 2 (2022): Miscellaneous articles and special issue on demography

Section

Números monográficos

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