healthOld Sex Is New?Good old New England Journal of Medicine -- I knew we could count on them. They just put out a study that says old people can have an active sex life well into their 80s. There’s some good news. I thought sex organs sloughed off around age 70, never to be seen again, but a survey of 3,000 U.S. adults ages 57 to 85 begs to differ. Specifically, about half to three-quarters of those surveyed say they remain sexually active, and that’s impressive when you consider that many people in that age bracket are faced with sexual problems or the loss of a partner. Interest in sex remains high and frequency is surprisingly stable among those who are physically able and still partnered. According to Stacy Tessler Lindau of the University of Chicago, who led the study, "There's a popular perception that older people aren't as interested in sex as younger people. Our study shows that's simply not true. Older people value sexuality as an important part of life." Not surprising at all is the fact that healthier people had the highest rates of sexual activity, but the study seems to also support the idea that a healthy sex is in itself a way to remain healthy and vibrant. Sex is not only a great form of exercise, it may also help to release endorphins that are responsible for a sense of well-being, and doesn’t feeling loved make everyone feel better? Don’t need a study for that conclusion. Some other highlights:
One other notable fact -- these people were happy to talk about their sex life. The study required a 2 hour face to face interview and yet had an unusually high 75 percent response rate. Now we just need to get doctors to talk to their patients about it more. So maybe we can’t stop the aging process, but good sex never gets old. Jay Harrison is a graphic designer and writer whose work can be seen at DesignConcept. He's written a mystery novel, which therefore makes him a pre-published author. © 2006-2013 ConceptDesign, Inc. Terms of Use |