Sex doesn't fade with age, study suggests - many over-65s still active

Older adults aged 65 to 85 reported active and varied sex lives. Some women experienced first orgasms later in life, while others took lovers after decades without sex. Many older men continued intimacy with erectile dysfunction medication or injections. Participants described valuing rare opportunities to talk openly about bedroom experiences. Research challenged assumptions that sex interest fades with age and emphasized that sexuality remains important well into older adulthood. Misconceptions and stigma, along with limited knowledge in healthcare services about sexual health in older adults, were identified as barriers to healthy sexual aging. Related findings from England reported high rates of sexual activity across older age groups, including intercourse among many people aged 70 to 79 and over 80.

"A University of Oslo scientist, who interviewed older adults aged between 65 and 85, found many still had active and varied sex lives. Strikingly, she found some women experienced their first orgasms later in life, and others took lovers after decades of abstinence. Perhaps less surprisingly, many older men admitted they continued to enjoy intimacy with the help of erectile dysfunction medication or injections. Most also said they welcomed the rare opportunity to talk candidly what goes on inside the bedroom."

"Lead researcher Sidsel Louise Schaller, a psychologist, said younger generations and even medical professionals often assume older people are no longer interested in sex, largely because they struggle to imagine them as being sexually active. But her research challenged that belief, suggesting sexuality remains an important part of life well into older age, and should be treated as such. She added that it was vital to tackle the misconception and stigma that surrounds older people and sex."

"'Societal ageist attitudes and a lack of knowledge in healthcare services about the sexual health in older adults create barriers to healthy sexual aging.' The findings come after research published in The Lancet in 2023 which showed that in England, 86 per cent of men and 60 per cent of women between the ages of 60 and 69 were sexually active. In the same study, 59 per cent of men and 34 per cent of women aged 70-79 said they still had intercourse, as did 31 per cent of men and 14 per cent of women over 80."

"One of the 32 participants in the University of Oslo study, a woman in her 70s, barely had sex after turning 50 - but rediscovered intimacy later in life with a new lover. Another woman found love during her 80s and experienced her first orgasm with a male partner, who said she was the best sex partner he had ever been with."

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