Sexuality in Adulthood

Sexuality in Adulthood

We live in a youth-centered culture and often find it difficult to think about older people engaging in sex. Consider your own feelings about sex and sexuality in adulthood.

• When I was a little girl/boy, my parents attitude about sex was. . .

• Concerning my sex education, my parents told me . . .

• These conversations occurred . . .

• I recall feeling . . .

• Regarding my sexuality, I feel that the impact of the sex education my parents gave me has been . . .
because . . .

• I acknowledged my parents’ sexuality. . .

• I acknowledge my grandparents’ sexuality. . .

• I thought that adults stopped having sex when. . .

• My thoughts/feelings about my parents having sex were. . .

• My thoughts about my grandparents or other older adults and sex were. . .

• As I got older, my views about sex and sexuality in adulthood. . .

• My feelings about my sexual maturation were . . .

• My current feelings about sexuality in the later years are. . .

In junior high, I found myself still very curious about other boys and what they were like. I found myself attracted to some of them, but rationalized that it was a phase, and I was just curious and wanted to see what their bodies looked like. I kept telling myself that I was just a late bloomer and that I would start liking girls soon. I found that I was telling myself this throughout my entire four years in high school. Any day I would find the girl who would catch my attention (the truth was that I was still looking at other guys but hoping against hope that this was still a phase, albeit a long one).
—24-year-old Caucasian gay male

I thought I had “escaped” the scars and trauma of my parents’ divorce and considered myself lucky they had divorced when I was so young. In retrospect I have learned that the divorce did have a great impact on the development of my sexual identity. Not having a father take an active role in my life gave me a feeling of rejection I did not...

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