Sex after 70 is better than ever, according to a group of Swedish researchers. Contrary to popular belief, there are an increasing number of people age 70 and older that are having good quality sex more often, with senior women particularly satisfied with their sex lives.
Nils Beckman and colleagues from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden studied four groups of men and women totaling more than 1,500 people aged 70 and older about their attitude toward sex later in life. Study participants were surveyed in the periods of 1971-1972, 1975-1977, 1992-1993 and 2000-2001 regarding information about their sex lives such as sexual dysfunction, marital satisfaction, and sexual activity.
Participants who reported having sex within the past year were considered sexually active and more seniors interviewed in the latest survey were reporting being sexually active and having a happy relationship with a positive attitude toward sex compared those interviewed in earlier surveys. According to Beckman and his colleagues, "Most elderly people consider sexual activity and associated feelings a natural part of later life."
The study shows that over the last thirty years the number of 70 year olds having sexual intercourse has increased. The percentage for married men increased from 52% to 68%, with married women's percentage jumping from 38% to 56%. The increase for unmarried men rose from 30% to 54%, with the percentage for unmarried women grew from 0.8% to 12%.
It was also found that the number of women reporting high sexual satisfaction has increased, with more women reporting having an orgasm during sex and fewer reporting never having had an orgasm. On the flip side, more men are reporting low sexual satisfaction. The research team suggests that this could be due to the fact that it is now more acceptable for men to admit failure regarding the aspects of sex. Both men and women hold men responsible when they stop having sex, which remains consistent with the results of other studies done in the 1950s and 2005-2006.
Other findings show that the number of men reporting erectile dysfunction has decreased while the percentage reporting ejaculation dysfunction has increased, but the proportion reporting premature ejaculation remains unchanged.
Though the reason for the increase in senior sexual activity is not clear, researchers suggest that factors such as society's changing attitudes toward sex, better overall health, more education, and higher incomes may all play a part.
Until now, information regarding the sexual behavior of older seniors has mainly been limited to sexual problems with little known about the normal aspects of their sex life. The results of this study may be what health professionals need to motivate them to ask people of all ages about the health of their sex life. Beckman noted, "I think it's very important for older people to know that it's quite normal to have sexual feelings, and it's important for health professionals to know that they are sexually active or would like to be, and they should take that into consideration."
The study was published on the British Medical Journal Online First website.
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