Abstract
This study aimed to identify the social representations of older people surrounding sexuality. This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach, based on the theoretical and methodological contributions of the theory of social representations. Thirty elderly patrons of a support group located in João Pessoa, Brazil, participated. In-depth interviews were conducted, with the purpose of determining content subject to thematic content analysis. Representational content included the elements of sexuality, changes resulting from aging, importance of sexual experiences for the elderly, and negative perception of these practices on the part of society in general. It was observed that the social representations of sexuality were presented in a similar manner to scientific description, demonstrating similarities between common sense and scholarly knowledge. It is believed that this study will contribute sparingly to promote changes in attitudes about sexuality in the elderly, thereby bringing benefits to the quality of life of this population.
Sexuality; Aging; Social Representations