Description
Book SynopsisSexual Deviance in Health and Aging: Uncovering Later Life Intimacy explores life course health experiences and unmet care needs of populations perceived as sexually deviant in the United States. These groups include but are not limited to: gay, lesbian, and bisexual people; asexual and demisexual people; trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming people; intersex people; nonmonogamous and polyamorous people; kink and fetishism practitioners; sex and adult entertainment workers; individuals labeled as sexual offenders and predators; people living with sexually transmitted infections; people identifying as neuroatypical and/or autistic; and people with chronic conditions and disabilities who lead active sexual lives. Lacey J. Ritter and Alexandra C.H. Nowakowski analyze the social, cultural, and political origins of perceptions of these groups as sexually deviant. In the process, they provide history and context for the health care experiences of people within each of these broad groups. Simultaneously, Sexual Deviance in Health and Aging highlights the complexity and individuality of different people’s journeys through sexuality in health and aging.
Trade ReviewSexual Deviance in Health and Aging covers an impressively wide range of sexual behaviors and tackle important topics that have received little attention in health and aging research. The authors conduct thorough reviews of narrative and ethnographic studies to provide engaging discussions about various sexuality groups’ health and aging experiences and unmet needs. Taking a constructionist perspective, they brilliantly highlight how certain sexual behaviors come to be perceived as deviant and what consequences it creates for health and aging experiences of people who engage in those behaviors. The book is a must read for any students, researchers, clinicians, and policy makers interested in sexualities, health, and aging.
-- Koji Ueno, Florida State University
Table of ContentsChapter One: Introduction
Chapter Two: Sexual Deviance in Life Course Context
Chapter Three: Locked Closets
Chapter Four: Gray Kink
Chapter Five: Bridging the Gap
Chapter Six: Aging Openly
Chapter Seven: Redefining “Sexy”
Chapter Eight: Conclusions
