News

Sex in your seventies

by Frank Smith

You are never too old for sex.

That's the conclusion of a telephone survey of 1500 Australian men and women between the ages of 40 and 80.

Seventy nine per cent of men and 57 per cent of women are sexually active in their sixties as are 49 per cent of men and 24 per cent of women in their seventies.

The survey, published in the CSIRO Journal Sexual Health was part of a study of sexual attitudes and behaviours of 27,500 people in 29 countries.

International comparisons have yet to be published.
Overall 83 per cent of men and 74 per cent of women interviewed had had sex within the previous 12 months.

The reason for the difference between men and women is that men tend to have sex with younger women and are perhaps more open about reporting illicit sex. Older women who have lost their partners may have little opportunity to have sex even if they are still interested.

Some respondents had difficulties with sex. In the case of men it was usually premature ejaculation, poor erections and low libido, with women it was low libido and lubrication difficulties. However, only three per cent of men and four per cent of women had frequent difficulty reaching orgasm.

Older people had more sexual problems than younger people, but few people sought help from a health professional.

"Many middle-aged and older adults in Australia report continued sexual interest and sexual activity. Several sexual difficulties are highly prevalent in this population, but those experiencing these difficulties rarely seek medical help," wrote the study authors.

The reasons given include: thinking it was not very serious, waiting for the difficulty to go away or believing it was a natural part of ageing.

Few (12 per cent of men and eight per cent of women) were embarrassed at discussing sexual difficulties with their doctor.

A 10 year study of the male population of Welsh town showed that men who had frequent sex are healthier.
George Davey Smith, professor of social medicine at Bristol University, questioned 900 men aged between 45 and 59 about the frequency with which they reached orgasm. He revisited the participants 10 years later to find out how they were doing.

The death rate amongst men who rarely reached orgasm was twice that of high orgasmic men, he wrote in the British Medical Journal.

By examining the men for cholesterol levels and signs of heart disease at the start of the study and correcting for those variables, Davey Smith was able to show that men who had more sex were healthier, rather than that healthier men had more sex.

A study by Erman Palmore, of Duke University in the US, found that men who had more sex and that women who enjoyed sex more, lived longer.

It appears that quantity of sexual experience is important to men and quality to women, commented Davey Smith.
Celibacy may be a health hazard. In another study, mortality was slightly higher amongst 10,000 Catholic priests (who are presumed to be celibate) mainly due to increased liver cirrhosis and heart disease.

"Sex is good - at least it can do no harm - if it is satisfying to both parties and both enjoy it," said Dr Angela Coney of the FPWA sexual health services in Perth.
"Single men who are without sexual partners for a long time often suffer depression and become victims of heart disease," said Dr Cooney.

On the other hand a recent survey of nearly 6000 older Australian men by scientists at Monash University found that many were not practising safe sex in a casual relationship, leading to concerns about the spread of STD.

Newly single men, often after years of monogamous marriage, found negotiating condom use challenging.
Dr Cooney said statistically, married men outlive single men, but single women outlive married women. The difference may be due to the risks involved in childbirth.

Orgasm causes a surge in oxytocin and endorphins, which leads to sense of well being in both men and women. It also reduces stress and raises pain thresholds, easing discomfort caused by headaches, arthritis and menstrual cramps.

"Oxytocin is the bonding hormone," said Dr Cooney, "it bonds mother and baby and it helps bond couples.
"Where couples are unable to have penetrative sex, other forms of sex, provided they are enjoyable to both parties, are just as good," said Dr Cooney.

Couples that have a good sex life, generally have a better relationship.


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