Mind Over Menopause

People that have sex live longer. Married people live longer. People need people. The more intimate the connection, the more powerful the effects.

Today’s older adults are active, on the go and still doing many of the things they enjoyed in their younger years. That includes enjoying sex and intimate relationships.

Like adults of all ages, you probably want to continue intimacy with your partner and share your life in a fulfilling relationship. A healthy sexual relationship can positively affect all aspects of your life, including your physical health and self-esteem.

Though movies and television might tell you that intimacy and sex are only for younger adults, that isn’t true. The need for intimacy is ageless. You’ll never outgrow your need for affection, emotional closeness and intimate love. Most people still have sexual fantasies and desires well into their 80s and 90s. Sex may not be the same as it was in your 20s, but that doesn’t mean intimacy can no longer be as fulfilling or enjoyable.

“There is no age limit on sexuality and sexual activity,” reports Stephanie A. Sanders, PhD, associate director of the sexual research group The Kinsey Institute. While the frequency or ability to perform sexually will generally decline modestly as seniors experience the normal physiological changes that accompany aging, reports show that the majority of men and women between the ages of 50 and 80 are still enthusiastic about sex and intimacy.

“Use it or lose it,” says geriatrics expert Walter M. Bortz, 70, author of three books on healthy aging as well as several studies on seniors’ sexuality. “If you stay interested, stay healthy, stay off medications, and have a good mate, then you can have good sex all the way to the end of life.”

For men, “biology or hydraulics” is the biggest impediment to sex later in life, says Bortz. “For women, it’s opportunity and availability.”

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