The Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University and the University of New England, are undertaking the research study: Sexual well-being and ageing: A study of older Australian women. The researchers are looking for suitable volunteers in the Armidale area.
The focus of the study is the sexuality of older women. This is a unique historic opportunity to explore the subjective world of the first generation of post-sexual liberation women growing old sexually. The aim is to use experiences and feelings to build understanding of the complex relationships between ageism, sexism and sexual subjectivity, and develop a conceptual framework that advances our understanding of sex and sexuality in older women. In order to participate in this study, you must be a woman aged between 55 and 86 years.
What will your participation involve?
Participation in the project involves a one-off interview, which is expected to take between 1-1.5 hours. Women will talk about their experiences using a relaxed approach. There will be a series of open-ended questions that explore experiences and feelings about ageing and sexual well-being.
You will need to keep a personal journal for two weeks, starting after the interview. In the journal, you will be asked to record any thoughts or observations that you have had in response to the interviews.
Potential benefits of the project: The findings from this project will allow for the integration of sexual well-being into the broader health and well-being agenda for the fast-expanding ageing population in Australia. The research findings will create an important public debate, therefore changing and promoting attitudes that validate the sexual lives of women in general and older women in particular. The study findings will also inform health care providers about the sexual lives of older women. Gail can be contacted on 02 6773 2277 or on ghawkes@une.edu.au and all interested women are invited to contact her.
