SEXUAL DESIRES, AGING PERCEPTION, AND MARITAL SATISFACTION AMONG OLDER COUPLES IN NIGERIA: IMPLICATION FOR SEX-POSITIVE COUNSELLING

This study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional survey design to examine sexual desire, aging, and marital satisfaction among older couples, with implications for sex-positive counselling in Nigeria. The population comprised legally married couples aged 60 years and above residing in selected urban and semi-urban communities in South-Western Nigeria. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select 320 respondents (160 couples) for the study. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire consisting of three standardized instruments: the Sexual Desire Scale (SDS), the Aging Perception Inventory (API), and the Marital Satisfaction Inventory-Revised (MSI-R). Results in indicate that a significant positive correlation was found, indicating that there is a significant relationship between sexual desire and marital satisfaction among older couples; that the regression model was statistically significant, explaining 9% of the variance in sexual desire; aging perception significantly predicted sexual desire; that sexual desire and aging perception jointly predict marital satisfaction among older couples, explaining 15% of variance; and that older male spouses report higher marital satisfaction based on levels of sexual desire compared to older female spouses. The study concluded that sexual desire significantly predicts marital satisfaction among older couples in Nigeria. The study recommended the integration of sex-positive counseling and Emotion- Focused Couple Counselling to promote healthy aging and marital satisfaction among older Nigerian couples.