Medicalization of sexuality and sexual health: A perspective review

Rajat Goyal; Deepak Chandran; Kajal Garg; Pran Mohankumar; Sumeet Gupta; Rupesh K. Gautam; Hitesh Chopra; Kuldeep Dhama

doi:10.18006/2022.10(6).1241.1252

Authors

Rajat Goyal MM College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana-Ambala, India-133207 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5702-0932
Deepak Chandran Department of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, Amrita School of Agricultural Sciences, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India–642109 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9873-6969
Kajal Garg SD (PG) College Panipat, Haryana, India-132103 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6087-0804
Pran Mohankumar School of Agricultural Sciences, Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India-641114 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8952-7893
Sumeet Gupta MM College of Pharmacy, Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana-Ambala, India-133207 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2980-7791
Rupesh K. Gautam Department of Pharmacology, Indore Institute of Pharmacy, IIST Campus, Indore, India–453331 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5580-5410
Hitesh Chopra Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University, Punjab, India-140401 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8867-7603
Kuldeep Dhama Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India–243122 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7469-4752

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18006/2022.10(6).1241.1252

Keywords:

Aging, Sexuality, Sexual Health, Medicalization, Heterosexuality, Sexual dysfunction

Abstract

Sexuality has become a medical issue in the context of aging due to a variety of aspects, such as growing life expectancy, an optimistic societal paradigm that indorses sexuality as significant for the superiority of life with age, and the medicalization of sexuality with the emergence of remedial medicines to extravagance sexual dysfunction. At any age, a reduction in the desire for sexual activity or inadequate performance of sexual intercourse is considered atypical and requires a medicinal treatment response. However, despite concerns that this is leading to an unhealthy obsession with sexuality from a medical perspective, this line of thinking is likely to continue. In this context, people can identify and take advantage of sexual problems. Sexual desire and performance are affected by normal physiological changes associated with aging in both genders. Medical experts must understand these changes to optimize sexual functioning in older patients. Sexual health can only be improved by addressing both sexual rights and enjoyment, even in the current politically charged context. Through legislation, programming, and lobbying, we may all work to enhance health, happiness, and quality of life by fostering more positive associations between sexual health, sexual rights, and sexual pleasure. This calls for not just a thorough understanding of the real-world consequences of these ideas' interconnectivity, but also conceptual, individual, and systemic approaches that properly acknowledge and alleviate the problems imposed on people's lives due to insufficient consideration of these links. This review describes the factors associated with aging and sexuality, the normalization and medicalization of sexual health, and unusual situations associated with aging, including institutionalized care and the prospects of elder abuse.

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