New Study Shows Women Over 40 Have Increasingly Satisfactory Sex Lives

The latest results from a longitudinal study that started in 1972 in a community if California showed that sex becomes more satisfying for women over 40 and as they age. The study, to be published in the January issue of The American Journal of Medicine, had 806 respondents to a survey that asked about sex. The percentage of women who responded self reported that they were sexually satisfied increased with age. In fact, close to half the women over 80 in the study reported always being or almost always being satisfied with their sex lives.

The reasons for high satisfaction were diverse. Some of the respondents reported their high level of satisfaction came from having great sex while other reported theirs came from decreasing desire partnered with decreasing sexual activity.

When it comes to sexual function, the women in this study found half the respondents reported being sexually active. Most of the sexually active women reported no difficulty with arousal, vaginal lubrication and ability to achieve orgasm. The women who reported the most satisfaction with ability to reach orgasm were under 55 and over 80.

This study is unique in that it focused on the complete sex lives of women rather than just sexual dysfunction or hormonal replacement therapy. This longitudinal study has been surveying the same group of women since 1972, all of which live independently.

While the rate of sexual activity declines with age, women reported that sex remains a significant part of their lives. More than half of the respondents reported engaging in sexual activity in the previous month, with or without a partner. This suggests older women utilize the benefits of masturbation for sexual satisfaction and keeping the vagina supple.

The study discusses two possible explanations for the results of the study given that as women age they report less sexual desire and less sexual activity. First, women who are not engaging in intercourse could be finding sexual satisfaction with other sensual activities such as touching and other forms of intimacy. Second, women who are having no form of intimate contact are not unhappy about it thus reporting being satisfied with their sex life the way it is.

While the community is California is not a representative sample of the country as a whole, it does show that older women are having satisfying sexual relationships and not giving up that intimate part of their lives.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/01/09/sex-life-becomes-more-satisfyin...