Report: Mature Couples and Sex
How sexually active are couples as they reach their later years? What are the main hurdles to maintaining a healthy sex life as partners age? Read on for some recent findings!
As couples age, physical and emotional challenges will play a role in the sexual aspect of their relationships. Specifically, how often they are having sex and their overall drive to engage in intimacy is related not only to physical health but mental well-being as well.
In the article, “Sex and the Mature Couple,” written by Linda Waite, Ph.D, of the University of Chicago, the results of her National Social Life, Health and Aging Project study are revealed. The study explores couples’ sex lives as they age (surveyed were men and women from age 57-85).
According to Waite, the main obstacles in maintaining a healthy sex life as men and women age are “illness, disease and declines in functioning that often appear with age.”
Age and Sexual Activity
The amount of sexual activity declines with each decade, naturally. For married and partnered men in the most optimal health, Waite’s research shows that most are not having sex by the time they are 85. For males in fair or poor health, the decline happens quicker, as about half are sexually active by the time they reach their 70s. For most married and partnered women, those in poor health saw a big decline in sexual activity by their late 60s. Half of women in excellent health were still having sex by their late 70s.
Consistency is the Key
Couples that remained sexually active into their eighties were just as satisfied with the intimate aspect of their relationships as those in their fifties. Only about half of the former interviewed reported having any sexual health issues. For men, erectile dysfunction was the main problem, while women suffer most commonly from a loss of interest.
Predictors of a Declining Sex Life – Mental Health
According to Waite, there are two main factors that can lead to a sexual decline for couples -- poor mental health (depression, anxiety and stress) and dissatisfaction in the relationship.
If a couple is emotionally equipped to deal with normal physical challenges that arise with age, they can enjoy a healthy sex life. “Our research suggests that physical health challenges can be met if men and women maintain their mental health," Waite explains. "For those who maintain sexual activity well into their golden years, the experiences are just as rewarding.”
Get the complete report and learn more about sexual problems and aging here.
62 comments on
“Report: Mature Couples and Sex”
My grandmother is 93. My grandfather died about 12 years ago. She and my grandfather were sexually active right up until my grandfather's health began to decline about a year before that. She wore fishnets to his funeral -- because he always loved for her to wear them. I find this story beautiful. They were married for 60 years.
I am over 50 and always enjoyed sex with my husband. As he developed physical health problems he grew more and more anxious that somehow that would make me love him less or that because I enjoyed sex I would seek it outside our marriage. Neither of these things happened but he became pretty obsessed with trying to make certain that he "could perform" including using medication. I appreciated his efforts and totally enjoyed sex when it happened but I always loved him even when sex wasn't a part of our lives. Discovering how to make adjustments in the sexual area is just like discovering how to make adjustments in all areas of our lives as we physically age - if we accept ourselves and those important to us as we really are then life and relationships are allot better.
I'm 47 and was married for 23 years to a man ten years my senior. Sex was always good and I never had to fake a single orgasm. We always spent time learning how to please each other. If you do that, thepersonal benefits are phenomenal.
Now as a single person, I still think about sex all the time and will look forward to sharing that aspect if and when I find another partner. I don't understand women who don't like to engage in that part of relationship at all. I think that has more to something in the relationship being extremely messed up rather than lack of libido. As a woman moves past the menopausal stage, I've heard that they become much freer in their sexual expression and the act becomes much more enjoyable for both the man and the woman.
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