Facebook Pixel

Surprise! Sexually Active Seniors are Happier

By HERWriter
 
Rate This
it's no surprise that sexually active seniors tend to be happier Stockbyte/Thinkstock

The concept of sexually active seniors may make some people uncomfortable. They may be trying not to think about their parents, or even more uncomfortable, their grandparents.

It's a different picture if you are the sexually active senior, or the senior wishing to be sexually active.

Then it's no joke. It's your own life, your own relationship, or relationships, not some stereotype.

Why wouldn't you carry on embracing your sexuality as you get older, as long as you are able? It's not like you're crazy. Sex didn't stop being good and satisfying just because you've lived long enough to be a senior.

So if you have the capacity and the desire, buck the prejudice out there and go for it. Or, keep on going for it. Hopefully you never stopped.

As long as you and your partner are happy, the rest of the world is irrelevant -- which is as it should be in a sexual encounter.

Enjoy yourselves to the hilt. There is new research from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University inTallahasee, by the way, which concurs that sex and happiness are definitely linked for older couples.

Of the individuals in the study, only 40 percent who hadn't had sex in the last year were "very happy". Among the individuals who were having sex more than once a month, 60 percent claimed to be "very happy".

Of couples who had no sex in the last year, only 59 percent said they were happy in their marriages. But 80 percent of those who had regular sex said they were happy. Sex was defined as vaginal, oral and anal sex.

A survey in a 2007 New England Journal of Medicine indicated that while older people might have sex less often, more than 50 percent of people in their late 70s and early 80s were still having sex two or three times a month, and sometimes more than that.

And in that age group, almost one quarter said they are having sex once a week or more.

Health benefits accompany the emotional benefits. Sex can enhance your circulation and even send out more endorphins that elevate mood and reduce pain.

No, it's not the same as when you were in your 20s. And no, the body isn't what it used to be way back when.

But hopefully, neither are your youthful insecurities and inexperience. You may also be more tolerant of yourself and your partner, with less concern about whether you have (or don't have) a perfect physique, and a more realistic view of what is of value.

Go ahead. Make each other happy.

Sources:

Sexual Seniors Are Happiest, Survey Finds. Livescience.com. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
http://www.livescience.com/17103-sex-happiness-seniors.html

Better Senior Sex. Helpguide.org. Retrieved June 18, 2012.
http://www.helpguide.org/elder/sexuality_aging.htm

Visit Jody's website and blog at http://www.ncubator.ca and http://ncubator.ca/blogger

Add a CommentComments

There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
By submitting this form, you agree to EmpowHER's terms of service and privacy policy

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

Active Adult

Get Email Updates

Health Newsletter

Receive the latest and greatest in women's health and wellness from EmpowHER - for free!