epublishing store: Intro

Sexual Health eBook Volume1
Chapter 11

Sexuality: Young and Middle Adulthood, Danielle Duplassie, M.A. and Judith C. Daniluk, Ph.D

Sexuality is a fundamental aspect in the lives of all people, encompassing physical, psychological, social, emotional, spiritual, cultural, and ethical dimensions of human experience. It incorporates feelings and perceptions about self and others and can be expressed and experienced in a multitude of ways (Daniluk, 1998). Typically, sexual expression involves “the sensual pleasure that comes from the stimulation of the body, often with the anticipation of an enjoyable, erotic feeling” (Westheimer & Lopater, 2005, p. 24). However, sexual expression being a personal as well as relational construct, individuals may well experience themselves as sexual without the physical expression of their sexuality in relationship with another—as is the case of those who are celibate. Sexuality and sexual expression also have a multitude of meanings—celebration, intimacy, pleasure, power, connection, and love, to name just a few, depending on the situation, motivation, and context (Daniluk).

Although almost universally accepted as a central aspect of adult life, particularly given its link to reproduction, sexuality is clearly a very complex phenomenon. Numerous approaches and theories have attempted to grasp its richness, but there is no one particular approach that can fully capture its essence. To gain a broad appreciation and understanding of sexuality during adulthood, it is important to take a multidisciplinary approach. In this chapter, our objective is to give an overview of the sexual issues and concerns that are characteristically experienced by men and women from their mid-twenties through their fifties. Through a biopsychosocial developmental lens, we attempt to address the biological, psychological, and social factors that often influence] how women and men experience their sexuality throughout young and middle adulthood. Many of these factors are discussed in more detail throughout this book. Although we identify a range of physiological, social-role, and psychological factors that may challenge the sexual self-constructions of men and women and shape the ways in which they express and experience their sexuality during the adult years, the focus of this chapter is on sexual health. We begin first with a discussion about sexual health.

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