A recent study explores how many Americans are still sexually active in their later years, and the results may surprise you. The research followed the sexual habits, behavior, and attitudes towards intimacy of 3,005 men and women between the ages of 57 and 85 years of age. While physiology has an impact, by and large, these Baby Boomers continue to enjoy satisfying sexual lives.
Prior Research Deficits
Our aging population represents a huge portion of the entire populace, and it’s growing. By 2060, the number of Americans over 65 is expected to grow from 15 percent to nearly a quarter of all Americans. (https://www.prb.org/aging-unitedstates-fact-sheet/) With those impressive numbers, there must be numerous studies and surveys reviewing sexual activity in the over-50 crowd, right? Wrong!
Surprisingly, there’s minimal information about the way older people in the U.S. age sexually. The little data that has been available paints a fuzzy picture. Small, limited studies have barely scraped the surface of this topic. And, sadly, there exists no comprehensive, research-based overview or conclusions about how aging impacts sexual activity, function, intimacy, and relationships in Americans over 50 years of age.
A New Study Gives Voice to Baby Boomers
Recognizing the importance of this valuable data, a group of researchers recently tackled the problem with an ambitious study exploring the way aging Americans deal with sexuality, libido, intimate relationships and the challenges of declining health in this arena.
They interviewed a representative sampling of Americans over 55 from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. In-home visits included physical assessments, as well — including blood, vaginal and salivary tests. Even physical and sensory function was tested.
Some of the parameters included the following:
- Information gathering of cohabitation and marital history
- Notation of the timing of any sexual partnering over the prior 5-year period with up to three partners
- Definition of “sexually active” was a sexual activity with at least one partner during the prior year, irrespective of orgasm or intercourse
- Definition of “spousal or other intimate relationship” was any participant who were currently married or living with a partner
- Information on how often the respondents admitted to engaging in masturbation was obtained
- Frequency of any oral sex and vaginal intercourse activity was recorded
- For those who had not engaged in any sexual activity for at least 3 months, feedback was obtained on why not
- For sexually active respondents, self-assessments on physical health were recorded
- Medical intervention and interaction was assessed by asking about diagnoses of common medical ailments and any sexual discussions with a healthcare professional.
Sexual Study Results
To no one’s surprise, sexual activity did indeed decline for these participants as they age. Women reported this with a higher frequency than men. For the respondents who enjoyed more optimal health, sexual activity was reported at a higher percentage than those with medical issues. As the age of the female participants increased, the likelihood of them still partnering in a relationship decreased.
The final analysis revealed that most aging Americans still enjoy close relationships — whether married or not. Even more importantly, the over-50 group is still quite active, sexually. Sexual frequency slows down — but it certainly doesn’t go away. These sexy Boomers are still engaging in intercourse, oral sex, and masturbation. So, the bottom line is — there’s still a lot to look forward to as you age, sexually speaking.
Hi all, I ‘m Mark Delano a full-time writer and editor for HealthyMale.com.
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