SEX, INTIMACY AND AGING

Melanie Ramey, CEO of Hope of Wisconsin, JD and MSW

Sexual intimacy among older Americans is alive and well.  It’s just a subject we don’t talk about much.  This silence allows misconceptions to flourish - including the widespread assumption that seniors lose interest in sex and are, or should be, asexual.  According to leading researchers, that is far from the truth.

Recently Melanie Ramey presented a lecture on Sexuality and Aging to a class at the UW Madison School of Social Work.  On this program, Melanie shares her message on the importance and broad existence of intimacy in older adults lives and the need for family members and care professionals to recognize this.  This open conversation covers the myths, barriers, dynamics, and benefits of sex as we age, and how the need for intimacy is ageless and should be supported.