Older widows' perspectives on sexuality: A life course perspective

Background: Sexuality is a significant component in human experience and has an important impact on the individual's general well-being. Life course events and the social construction of sexuality lead older widows to reflect upon their sexuality. Purpose: To explore and describe the ways in which older widows construct and perceive their sexuality along the life course. Method: A phenomenological-qualitative approach was conducted. Data collection was performed through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 17 widows, between the ages of 62-91, followed by content analysis. Results: Three major themes emerged: (a) Approaching sexuality: Conservative vs. progressive attitudes; (b) Multiple ways of perceiving sexuality: Constructing a sexual identity along the life course; and (c) Sexual self-perception: Integrating late life and widowhood. Conclusion: Sexuality among widows in later life includes continuity and change processes. In the context of social construction, sexuality is a subject that should be examined in greater depth. (C) 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.