Relationship charity Relate has launched a new campaign called ‘Let’s Talk The Joy of Later Life Sex’ to help remove older people’s stigma as sexual beings.
British photographer Rankin took photos of five older couples and one woman in their intimate settings to show what intimacy and sex can mean in later life.
The photos will be displayed on billboards alongside a powerful message to tackle the stigma around this unspoken subject.
One text reads: “Over the hill. And the table. And the sofa.”
Another reads: “The years are going up, but you’re still going down.”
Rankin, who agreed to work for free, said that he wants to show the importance of sex and love, regardless of age.
“The simple fact is, we all need intimacy now more than ever – and age really is just a number,” Rankin explained.
“The greatness of love and affection – the very things we can’t stop writing books, films, and pop songs about – doesn’t need to change as we find our later years.”
Gail Thorne, a sex therapist from the charity, also said: “It may seem as though it’s only young people with ‘perfect’ bodies having sex and being intimate but of course this isn’t true!”
“In reality, ‘sex and intimacy in later life’ means different things to different people: for some, it’s about exploring new and different sexual experiences, and for others, it’s simply about feeling able to express emotion through a gentle touch or kiss on the cheek,” Thorne continued.
“What we’re trying to do today is open up a society-wide conversation about the fact that sex and intimacy – whatever that might mean – can be as important for older people as it is for anyone else.”
“There is a notion that older people shouldn’t, couldn’t, and wouldn’t want to have sex and be intimate. Why?” Relate wrote on their website.
“It is rarely talked or written about yet we know that for many older people, sex and intimacy remains a really important part of their lives.”
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