Cited by 63Sexual function and dysfunction studiesHistorical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal ChangesAging and Gerontology Research

Medicalization and the Refashioning of Age-Related Limits on Sexuality

Marshall, Barbara L.·2012·The Journal of Sex Research

Abstract

This article explores the convergence of sexual medicine and anti-aging medicine as they have refashioned standards of sexual functionality and reconstructed sexual life courses. Reversing the long-held stereotypes of asexual or post-sexual seniors, expectations of continued sexual functionality as an indicator of health in later life now underpin a growing medical and therapeutic industry. While more positive images of eldersex are certainly an improvement over past views that saw older people as both undesiring and undesirable, this article suggests that caution should be exercised regarding an overly celebratory reading of the medicalized construction of "sexy seniors."

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

This critical essay argues that sexual medicine and anti-aging medicine have refashioned age-related limits on sexuality, replacing the asexual-senior stereotype with an expectation of continued sexual function as a marker of successful aging. It cautions that the “sexy seniors” discourse, while more positive than past views, narrows sexual health to youthful, heteronormative performance and may create new risks and distress.

Key findings

  • The paper traces a historical shift: 19th- and early-20th-century medicine often counseled a post-sexual old age, and major sexual-behavior studies long excluded older respondents (maximum age 59), but recent studies have investigated sexual activity in people as old as 94. By the 1980s, urology reframed erectile dysfunction as “modifiable para-aging phenomena,” and the 1998 arrival of Viagra helped forge pharmacological treatment of later-life sexual disorders.
  • Biomedicalization and anti-aging industries normalize continued sexual functionality: the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (2008) reported that 29 medicines in development for aging were aimed at treating sexual dysfunctions, and in Canada an estimated 85% of people over 65 are on prescription medications, which may themselves cause sexual side-effects.
  • The medicalization of late-life sexuality is gendered: menopause was construed as a correctable estrogen deficiency, later attention turned to postmenopausal desire deficits and andropause, and reversing aging requires “re-sexing” aging bodies to align with culturally dominant heterosexuality and penetrative sex.
  • The “sexy seniors” image improves on past portrayals of older people as undesiring and undesirable, but the paper warns it imposes youthful, heteronormative standards, encourages “virility surveillance,” and may make those who do not meet norms feel dysfunctional; it calls for research recognizing diverse late-life sexualities.

Methods

  • Critical theoretical essay/review that draws on and updates the author’s previous research, reviews medical science’s shifting concerns with sexual problems in later life, and maps dimensions of the association between continued sexual functionality and successful aging.
  • Evidence comes from historical medical and gerontological texts, contemporary sexological and pharmaceutical sources, media examples, and cultural gerontology/feminist cultural studies; there is no primary sample or statistical analysis.
  • The main analysis is conceptual synthesis and critique, not empirical hypothesis testing.

Limitations

  • The paper states an urgent need for more research recognizing diversity in late-life sexualities, in contrast to the “one size fits all” biomedical model; it notes qualitative research has begun a richer picture but new questions continue to be generated.
  • Evident from the text, though not framed as a formal limitations section: the article is a conceptual/critical essay relying on selected secondary sources and examples, without primary data or a systematic review methodology.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1080/00224499.2011.644597

Cites

91 of 92 references verified0 citation errors · 1 not checkable

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Claims the paper makes

4 of 46 cited sources checked · 1 supported · 1 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

  • Interpretationcitation
    § Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" · p. 4

    Many drug regimens commonly prescribed to older people may create sexual problems.

    “Lindau and Gavrilova (2010) neglected to note that many drug regimens commonly prescribed to older people may create sexual problems.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Lindau and Gavrilova (2010) source

      The Introduction (page unavailable) explicitly mentions sexual function lost as a consequence of treatments for medical conditions common in later life. The Discussion also addresses drug use and sexual function, though it does not enumerate drug regimens. Thus, the claim that the authors neglected to note treatment-related sexual problems is contrary to our copy. (LLM, conf=0.78)

      Checked by a reasoning model — may be wrong.

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Premisecitation
    § Barbara L. Marshall · p. 2

    In the past few years, a number of well-publicized studies have investigated the sexual activity of those as old as 94.

    “In the past few years, however, a number of well-publicized studies have investigated the sexual activity of those as old as 94.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim2 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Laumann, Das, & Waite, 2008 source

      The Introduction discusses studies of sexual activity and sexual problems among older adults, and the Methods describe this study’s sample of adults aged 57–85. Our copy does not substantiate the claim that the studies investigated people as old as 94 or that they were well-publicized. (LLM, conf=0.85)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites Lindau et al., 2007 source

      The Study Population section describes an investigation of sexual activity among adults aged 57–85, and the introduction mentions other studies of older adults. The cited paper does not establish that any of these studies included people as old as 94 or that a number of them were well-publicized. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.86)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites Waite, Laumann, Das, & Schumm, 2009 source
  • Interpretationcitation
    § Sexualizing the "Third Age" Sexualizing the "Third Age" · p. 5

    In research that does support a relationship between sexual activity and health status, it is unclear in which direction the causal arrows might flow.

    “In research that does support a relationship between sexual activity and health status (e.g., Lindau & Gavrilova, 2010), it is unclear in which direction the causal arrows might flow.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Lindau & Gavrilova, 2010 source
  • Premisecitation
    § Barbara L. Marshall · p. 2

    Until recently, major studies of sexual behavior did not include older respondents.

    “Until recently, major studies of sexual behavior did not include older respondents.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Laumann, Paik, & Rosen, 1999 source
    • cites Wellings, Field, Johnson, & Wadsworth, 1994
  • Interpretationreasoning
    § Aging and Sexual Function: A Brief History · p. 4

    The medicalization of late-life sexuality has not been a gender-neutral process.

    “The medicalization of late-life sexuality has not been a gender-neutral process.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 10
  • May combine two claims. 15
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given
    § Barbara L. Marshall · p. 2

    The widely recounted progress story underpinning sexual medicine's self-understanding is problematic and effaces much of the complexity of histories of both sexuality and aging.

    “However, I argue that this is a problematic story that effaces much of the complexity of histories of both sexuality and aging.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: Coleman's summary is representative of the widely recounted progress story underpinning sexual medicine's self-understanding.
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisenone given
    § Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" · p. 4

    Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, anti-hypertensives, anti-inflammatory medications, and anti-Parkinsons drugs have all been linked to arousal, orgasm, erectile, and lubrication difficulties.

    “For example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressants, anti-hypertensives, anti-imflammatory medications, and antiParkinsons drugs have all been linked to arousal, orgasm, erectile, and lubrication difficulties.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisereasoning
    § Aging and Sexual Function: A Brief History · p. 3

    For women, the climacteric was primarily defined by the end of reproductive sexuality, and menopausal women were rendered sexual neuters.

    “For women, the climacteric was primarily defined by the end of reproductive sexuality, and menopausal women were rendered sexual neuters.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation
    § Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" · p. 4

    Taking charge of one's health is promoted as essential to good citizenship in modern societies, and sexual health is no exception.

    “Taking charge of one's health is promoted as essential to good citizenship in modern societies (Rose, 2007b), and sexual health is no exception (Cacchioni, 2007; Tiefer, 1997).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Rose, 2007b

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Cacchioni, 2007 source
    • cites Tiefer, 1997 source
  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation
    § Aging and Sexual Function: A Brief History · p. 4

    More recently, the pharmaceutical industry has turned its attention to deficits of desire in mostly postmenopausal women and to identifying a hormonal and pharmaceutically correctable basis for symptoms of sexual decline linked to the male menopause or andropause.

    “More recently, the pharmaceutical industry has turned its attention to deficits of desire in (mostly) postmenopausal women (Fishman, 2004) and to identifying a hormonal and, thus, pharmaceutically correctable basis for symptoms of sexual decline linked to the male menopause or andropause (Marshall, 2007).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Fishman, 2004 source
    • cites Marshall, 2007 source
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given
    § Aging and Sexual Function: A Brief History · p. 3

    The idea of a climacteric for both men and women grounded newly popular decline narratives of aging, as well as the appeal of rejuvenation and life-extension therapies.

    “grounded newly popular decline narratives of aging, as well as the appeal of (often disreputable) rejuvenation and life-extension therapies.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Premisenone given
    § Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" · p. 4

    The popular media and other avenues of health promotion have been quick to report on the purported benefits of regular sex in reducing the risk of heart attack, boosting the immune system, lowering the risk of prostate cancer, and preventing everything from wrinkles to incontinence.

    “The popular media and other avenues of health promotion have been quick to report on the purported benefits of regular sex in reducing the risk of heart attack, boosting the immune system, lowering the risk of prostate cancer, and preventing everything from wrinkles to incontinence.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning
    § Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" · p. 4

    The imperative to remain sexually functional is intertwined with good health, successful aging, and even longevity itself, making worries about 'sex for health' particularly germane for older people.

    “This worry may be particularly germane for older people, as the imperative to remain sexually functional is intertwined with good health, successful aging, and even longevity itself.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable), S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning
    § Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" · p. 4

    Maintaining sexual function is both a benefit of a healthy lifestyle and a compelling reason for that lifestyle.

    “Thus, maintaining sexual function is both a benefit of a healthy lifestyle and a compelling reason for that lifestyle.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based).

    Premisenone given
    § Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" · p. 4

    Urologists, sexologists, gerontologists, and psychologists now all agree that the maintenance of sexual activities is healthy and beneficial for older people.

    “Whatever the causes theorized for the onset of sexual decline or dysfunction, urologists, sexologists, gerontologists, and psychologists now all agree that the maintenance of sexual activities is healthy and beneficial for older people.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation
    § Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" · p. 4

    There has been a shift from medicalization to biomedicalization, with the latter characterized by increasing interpenetration of science and industry.

    “Adele Clarke and her colleagues (2003) argued that there has been a shift from medicalization to biomedicalization, with the latter characterized by increasing interpenetration of science and industry.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Clarke et al., 2003 source
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given
    § Barbara L. Marshall · p. 2

    Sexual medicine and anti-aging medicine have converged and refashioned standards of sexual functionality and reconstructed sexual life courses.

    “This article explores the convergence of sexual medicine and anti-aging medicine as they have refashioned standards of sexual functionality and reconstructed sexual life courses.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationcitation
    § Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" · p. 4

    In Canada, it is estimated that 85% of people over the age of 65 are on prescription medications, suggesting that sexuopharmaceuticals may be routinely prescribed not only to counter age-related sexual changes, but to deal with sexual side-effects of other medications.

    “In Canada, it is estimated that 85% of people over the age of 65 are on prescription medications (RamageMorin, 2009), suggesting that sexuopharmaceuticals may be routinely prescribed not only to counter age-related sexual changes, but to deal with sexual side-effects of other medications.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites RamageMorin, 2009

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation
    § Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" · p. 4

    Commercial and market interests, rather than professional expansion, are now key in driving medicalization.

    “Conrad (2005) suggested that commercial and market interests, rather than professional expansion, are now key in driving medicalization.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Conrad (2005) source
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Premisecitation
    § Sexualizing the "Third Age" Sexualizing the "Third Age" · p. 5

    The third age is not so much a stage of life as a cultural field-a generationally saturated social terrain on which aging occurs.

    “As Higgs and Jones (2008) noted, the third age is not so much a stage of life as a cultural field—”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Higgs and Jones (2008)
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Interpretationnone given
    § Conclusion: The End of "Sexual Retirement?" · p. 5

    Subsequent waves of medicalization have intensified the notion of midlife decline, expanding the space for biomedical intervention.

    “Subsequent waves of medicalization have intensified the notion of midlife decline, expanding the space for biomedical intervention—that is, medicine has created a model of senescent sexuality as a problem for which it is the solution.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
    • Rests on an assumption: In the 19th century, medicine articulated natural laws and clinical truths about the climacteric and sexual decline.
  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning
    § Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" Biomedicalization, "Successful Aging," and the New"Sexual Health" · p. 5

    Sexual health is equated with sexual function and underpinned by biomedically driven, anti-decline narratives.

    “Sexual health is equated with sexual function and underpinned by biomedically driven, anti-decline narratives.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation
    § Conclusion: The End of "Sexual Retirement?" · p. 6

    Qualitative research has begun to paint a richer, more complex picture of the manner in which older men and women are forging their own pathways to intimacy.

    “Qualitative research8 has begun to paint a richer, more complex picture of the manner in which older men and women are”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Connidis, 2006

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning
    § Sexualizing the "Third Age" Sexualizing the "Third Age" · p. 5

    The rejection of old in the third age links it to the expansion of anti-aging industries and downloads anxiety about aging onto ever younger age groups.

    “links it to the expansion of anti-aging industries and downloads anxiety about aging onto ever younger age groups.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
19 of 19
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    Coleman's summary is representative of the widely recounted progress story underpinning sexual medicine's self-understanding.

    “Coleman's summary highlights key elements of the widely recounted progress story underpinning sexual medicine's self-understanding.”
  • The paper relies on this without support.

    In the 19th century, medicine articulated natural laws and clinical truths about the climacteric and sexual decline.

    “In the 19th century, medicine articulated natural laws and clinical”
  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    The goal of ageless aging is impossible.

    “the (impossible) goal of”
3 of 3

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 9

  1. Day , G. E. ( 1849 ). A practical treatise on the domestic management of most important diseases of advanced life . Philadelphia : Lea and Blanchard .
  2. Fletcher , P. ( 1972 ). The truth about impotence . In Encyclopedia of love and sex (pp. 163 – 165 ). New York : Crescent Books .
  3. Joyce , K. , & Mamo , L. ( 2006 ). Graying the cyborg: New directions in feminist analyses of aging, science and technology . In T. M. Calasanti & K. F. Slevin (Eds.), Age matters: Realigning feminist thinking (pp. 99 – 122 ). New York : Routledge .
  4. Kleinplatz , P. J. , Menard , A. D. , Paradis , N. , Campbell , M. , Dalgleish , T. , et al. . ( 2009 ). From closet to reality: Optimal sexuality among the elderly . Irish Psychiatrist , 10 , 15 – 18 .
  5. Marshall , B. L. , & Katz , S. ( 2006 ). From androgyny to androgens: Re-sexing the aging body . In T. Calasanti & K. Slevin (Eds.), Age matters (pp. 75 – 98 ). New York : Routledge .
  6. Pharmaceutical Research, & Manufacturers of America . ( 2008 ). Medicines in development for older Americans . Washington , DC : Author .
  7. Segal J. ( 2011 April ). The (re)sexualization of the medical. Paper presented at the The Medicalization of Sex: An International Conference Vancouver British Columbia Canada.
  8. Slevin , K. F. ( 2006 ). The embodied experience of old lesbians . In T. Calasanti & K. F. Slevin (Eds.), Age matters: Realigning feminist thinking (pp. 247 – 268 ). New York : Routledge .
  9. Vaughn , S. C. ( 1998 ). Viagra: A guide to the phenomenal potency-promoting drug . New York : Pocket Books .

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Marshall, B. L.
Affiliations
Trent University (CA)
Corresponding author
Marshall, Barbara L.
Venue
The Journal of Sex Research
Published
2012-06-21
Volume
49
Issue
4
Pages
337-343
ISSN
  • 0022-4499 (ISSN-L)
  • 1559-8519
OpenAlex
W1968177588
Cited by
63
References
86
Citations by year
2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 3
FWCI
2.66
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • The Journal of Sex Research (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Sexual function and dysfunction studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
Keywords
medicalization, sexuality in later life, older adults, sexual medicine, anti-aging medicine, age stereotypes, health sector
MeSH terms
Aging, Humans, Male, Sexuality, Andropause, Medicalization

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-10-18.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-10-18.

Cited sources are checked by gpt-6-sol.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review