Young Adults’ Acceptance of Later-Life Sexuality Is Predicted by Their General Sexual Attitudes and Viewing Sex as Leisure

Abstract

Ageism is entrenched in the contemporary Western society, rendering later-life sexuality negligible and limiting intergenerational understanding of lifespan sexual well-being. This cross-sectional study (1) measured young adults’ extent of knowledge and attitudes toward later-life sexuality, general sexual attitudes, and sex as leisure views and (2) tested whether knowledge about elderly sexuality, gender, sexual attitudes, and sex as leisure views explain/predict attitudes toward later-life sexuality. Data were collected using survey methodology (N = 270; 55.2% women) and analyzed with descriptive statistics and multiple regression. Young adults reported medium knowledge levels and relatively tolerant/permissive attitudes toward later-life sexuality. They also tended to have permissive general sexual attitudes and to view sex as leisure. In turn, young adults’ general sexual attitudes and viewing sex as leisure predicted their acceptance of later-live sexuality, while gender and knowledge levels did not. These findings address meaningful knowledge gaps and contribute to sexual health education combating ageism.