11.1: Introduction to Sexuality Through the Lifespan
After completing this module, students will have working knowledge of:
- Sexuality in Children
- Sexuality in Teens
- Sexuality in Mid-Adulthood
- Sexuality in Older Adults
Introduction
Our sexuality remains an important part of our overall wellness through our lifespan. However, our sexuality across the lifespan is not static, but rather dynamic and continually evolves as we go through our life cycle. In this chapter, we will look at human sexuality as a developmental process through various life stages and examine some of the biopsychosocial factors that contribute to the changes in sexual development.
Author caveat: much of the research on sexual development is gendered and we are reporting on this research while acknowledging taking a new critical view of gendering in this field is a direction we hope to see more of in future research. As this book is not a static document we hope to update and invite those who use this text to modify as new research surfaces.