SEXUAL-ACTIVITY IN OLD-AGE IN CONTEXT OF GENDER, MARITAL-STATUS AND PERSONALITY - RESULTS OF A REPRESENTATIVE STUDY

In a representative study, 450 elderly men and women over the age of 6 0 years were - besides other questions-asked if they had any sexual ac tivity within the last 12 months. Not regarding the gender of these pe rsons, but rather just the marital status, i. e. if they still have a partner, two-thirds of the old people between 61-70 years and one-thir d of the group older than 70 years, who still have a partner, had sexu al activity. We then looked for a relationship between sexual activity and special aspects of personality, measured by the Giessen Test. We found that older people who still have sexual activity describe themse lves als less depressed, with more social contacts, and with a higher social potency than elderly people with no sexual activity.