Good News About Sex: There’s More to Come

The New England Journal of Medicine has some good news and some bad news. The somewhat less than shocking bad news is that sexual activity declines with age. The good news is that while it may decline, it doesn’t disappear, especially for people in good health. The journal reports that people whose health was excellent or very good were nearly twice as likely to be sexually active as those in poor or fair health.
And now the facts: The prevalence of sexual activity declined with age (73% among respondents who were 57 to 64 years of age, 53% among respondents who were 65 to 74 years of age, and 26% among respondents who were 75 to 85 years of age); women were significantly less likely than men at all ages to report sexual activity. Among respondents who were sexually active, about half of both men and women reported at least one bothersome sexual problem. The most prevalent sexual problems among women were low desire (43%), difficulty with vaginal lubrication (39%), and inability to climax (34%). Among men, the most prevalent sexual problems were erectile difficulties (37%). Fourteen percent of all men reported using medication or supplements to improve sexual function. Men and women who rated their health as being poor were less likely to be sexually active and, among respondents who were sexually active, were more likely to report sexual problems.
Read more in the New England Journal of Medicine.