According to a National Poll on Healthy Aging, 93% of people in the U.S. between 50-80 years old report experiencing at least one form of ageism from other people.
Internalized ageism is when a person believes ageist ideas about themselves, such as thinking they had a "senior moment" or thinking they are too old to learn new technology. Internalizing ageist stereotypes can impact older people's mental and physical health, including sexual health. Various aspects of older adults' sexual health have been studied widely; however, studies focusing on older gay men, who often face disproportionate health disparities, are limited.
New research from Lucas R. Prieto, assistant professor in the Department of Social Work at George Mason University's College of Public Health, found that internalized gay ageism affects some aspects of older gay men's sexual health, but not all. Internalized gay ageism negatively impacts older gay men's sexual satisfaction when mediated by body image.
However, internalized gay ageism does not influence their erectile dysfunction. Internalized gay ageism (IGA) is the combination of internalized homophobia and ageism that captures the distinct experiences of older gay men, such as feeling invisible when they are with other gay men. "A complete mediation effect was found, meaning that older gay men who internalize negative feelings about aging as a gay man (e.
g. IGA), report lower body image and sexual satisfaction," said Prieto, principal investigator. "Soc.
