Although sexuality remains an important component of emotional and physical intimacy that most men and women desire to experience throughout their lives, sexual dysfunction in women is a problem that is not well studied. Increasing recognition of this common problem and future research in this field may alter perceptions about sexuality, dismiss taboo and incorrect thoughts on sexual dysfunction, and spark better management for patients, allowing them to live more enjoyable lives. This need is especially acute for physicians who will increasingly encounter patients trying to maintain a high quality of life as their bodies and life circumstances change, and as advances in nutrition, health maintenance, and technology allow many to extend the time midlife activities are maintained. One quality-of-life issue affected by these changes, for both men and women, is sexuality. Although studies agree that the majority of women consider sexuality a very important determinant of quality of life, the literature on the subject of sexual function in elderly women is not extensive. Although sexuality remains an important component of emotional and physical intimacy that most men and women desire to experience throughout their lives, it is unfortunately a topic many health care professionals have difficulty raising with their patients. Thus, it is not surprising that sexual dysfunction is a problem that is not well studied or discussed.
Barbara, 73
Safety Advice
Are you in a relationship with a woman more than a few years your senior, or do you just dream of having sex with an older woman and wonder what it would be like? The relationship - or sex - can be rewarding, if you know what to expect. All women are different, no matter their age. Open communication is the key to a fulfilling sexual relationship. If you're in a new relationship or you're looking to have sex with an older woman, keep in mind how different views on sex could be exacerbated by an age gap. A young man looking to "hook up" may not have the same outlook on sex as an older woman looking for a committed relationship. Men think of sex as a physical connection primarily, but women think of it as an emotional and physical one. An older woman may even wonder if it's OK to be interested in someone much younger , so she could question her wishes to have sex with a younger man even if their relationship has been building over time. If she's recently divorced, she may wonder how soon is too soon to be interested in having sex with someone else-and fear that her interest in a much younger man is inappropriate or related to getting over the shock and pain of divorce.
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The most important of these are the availability of a sexually active partner and presence of concurrent illnesses. Some of the age-related changes in physiological indicators of sexual function, such as vaginal blood flow, are the result of estrogen deficiency, and as such are essentially reversible. Despite the inherent limitations of many studies in female sexuality, a significant degree of objective measurements has been reported in the literature. Future research should focus on developing appropriate techniques for quantitative estimation of sexual response in women. The need for love and sexual intimacy does not diminish with age, and sexual history should be part of the clinical evaluation of older patients. Mooradian AD, Greiff V. Sexuality in Older Women.
While the frequency of sex often declines with age, many older adults—of course—can and do have sex. In fact, roughly 40 percent of men and women ages 65 to 80 are sexually active, according to a survey, and women in their 70s often express more satisfaction with sex than women in their 40s. Although sexual activity is considered an important measure of the quality of life for the majority of older adults, there are a number of problems that can arise with age. While treatments have improved for conditions such as erectile dysfunction in men and vaginal dryness , incontinence, and uterine prolapse in women, people may not bring these concerns to their doctor's attention. Understanding more about what sex in older age can be like, what else may be affecting your sex life and how to address it, and ways to maintain or even jumpstart this kind of intimacy can go a long way in you being able to continue to enjoy this part of your life. Until recently, there have been relatively few studies and surveys that have looked into how often older adults are having sex, and the results have been surprising to some. A National Poll on Healthy Aging conducted in association with the University of Michigan confirmed what some earlier studies have found with regard to sexual activity in older adults:. Similar findings were noted in the British Longitudinal Study of Aging, though older men were much more likely to be sexually active than older women. In this study, 31 percent of British men between the ages of 80 and 90 reported masturbating and having sex, with just under 60 percent of men ages 70 to 80 being sexually active. Meanwhile, only 14 percent of women between the ages of 80 and 90, and 34 percent of women ages 70 and 80 regularly engaged in sex or masturbation.
