Sex and the Elderly:

Two persistent myths about aging are that sex is for the young and religion is for the old. Contrary to these popular beliefs, adults do not necessarily turn to religion as they age nor do they lose sexual interest or cease to be sexually active. This paper examines sex. gender and sexuality of the elderly in relation to religious beliefs and church/synagogue participation. Five megatrends related to sex and aging and their implications for the churchlsynagogue are discussed: (1) from youth to adult congregations- the demographic imperatives; (2) from male to female congregations; (3) from married to single; (4) from eitherlor to multiple choice; and (5) from exclusive to inclusive.