Sex gets better with age say scientists

The Telegraph: Sex really does get better with age because older women get satisfaction from physical closeness, research has found.
New findings reveal that almost two thirds [61 per cent] of women as old as 80 were satisfied with their sex lives, even though just one in five reported a high sex drive.

A similar proportion [67 per cent] of older women who were sexually active said they achieved an orgasm 'most of the time' or 'always' during sex, suggesting that it really does get better with experience.

And despite having a lower sex drive, half of women in their 80s still claimed to achieve orgasms 'most of the time' during sex. US scientists think this is because the women had sex as a means of affirmation or keeping their relationships healthy.

They said that as we get older merely feeling 'emotional and physical closeness' to a partner can be enough to provide sexual satisfaction.

Researchers from the University of San Diego studied sexual activity and satisfaction levels among 800 women with an average age of 67. Surprisingly, the highest levels of sexual satisfaction were reported among the youngest and oldest women in the study

Results, published in The American Journal of Medicine, also showed it was possible to achieve sexual satisfaction just by touching or caressing a partner with whom the women had enjoyed a long-term relationship.

Study author Dr Elizabeth Barrett-Connor said: "Despite a correlation between sexual desire and other sexual function domains, only one in five sexually active women reported high sexual desire.

"Approximately half of the women aged 80 or older reported arousal and orgasm most of the time, but rarely reported sexual desire.

"In contrast with traditional linear model in which desire precedes sex, these results suggest that women engage in sexual activity for multiple reasons, which may include affirmation or sustenance of a relationship."

Co-author Dr Susan Trompeter added: "Not only were the oldest women in this study the most satisfied overall, those who were recently sexually active experienced orgasm satisfaction rates similar to the youngest participants.

"We found sexual activity was not always necessary for sexual satisfaction. Those who were not sexually active may have achieved sexual satisfaction through touching, caressing, or other intimacies developed over the course of a long relationship.

"Emotional and physical closeness to the partner may be more important than experiencing orgasm. A more positive approach to female sexual health focusing on sexual satisfaction may be more beneficial to women than a focus limited to female sexual activity or dysfunction."