Solidão, amor e sexo na mulher de mais de sessenta anos

Abstract

The anguish experiencied by women over sixty relates mainly to issues such as desire of to live – going beyond subjects like losses and grief. Their love and sex life is still riddler with taboos, surrouded by a silence that deniesthe problem or disqualifies those who dare to approach the subject. Under these circumstance, loneliness, somatization and depression develop easily, this way confirming the sayings: “Old people love to talk about diseases”, or “Old people do nothing except complain”. In an attempt to explode this myth and help old women to take control of their condition and rights taken into account, I will approach issues such as love, sex and loneliness in this age group. So as to profile the middle class old people, I will take into consideration historical facts, the rapid social, cultural and technological changes and the imperatives of the consumer society, the influence of the media, and the new types of family arrangements. I will approach issues referring to sexual activity and love in the third age, and point out the origins of the loneliness experiencied by women based on this frame of refence. Finally, I will show ways that allows changes in the social representation of old women – changes that may make it possible for them to be listened, respected and welcomed with regard to their affective and sex life – and that contribute to revise the psychotherapeutic practices related to this segment.