Good Sex Equals Good Quality of Life for Many Women

A study by researchers at the Stein Institute for Research on Aging, University of California, San Diego, finds that successful aging is tied to sexual satisfaction in post-menopausal women, ages 60 to 89.

For the study, researchers looked at 1,235 female patients at the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), San Diego. The WHI, which is funded by the National Institutes of Health, addresses causes of death, disability and general quality of life in more than 160,000 generally healthy older women.

As expected, participants reported that sexual activity and function, which includes desire, arousal and ability to climax, were negatively associated with aging. However, participants reported that satisfaction with their sex lives was not significantly different across the age ranges. To wit, 67 percent of those aged 60 to 69, 60 percent of those aged 70 to 79 and 61 percent of those aged 80 to 89 reported that they were “moderately” to “very satisfied” with their sex lives.

That’s the good news. Says co-lead author Wesley K. Thompson, Ph.D, associate professor of psychiatry, Stein Institute for Research on Aging, “Although the levels of sexual activity and functioning did vary significantly, depending on the woman’s age, their perceived quality of life, successful aging and sexual satisfaction remained positive.”

Here’s the bad: Researchers found that sexual activity declined significantly with age. For participants who were married or involved in an intimate relationship, 70 percent of those aged 60 to 69, 57 percent of those aged 70 to 79 and 31 percent of those aged 80 to 89 reported engaging in some sexual activity in the previous six months. Do the math; that’s a pretty steep decline in sexual activity between the ages of 69 and 80.

“What this study tells us is that many older adults retain their ability to enjoy sex well into old age,” said Thompson. “This is especially true of older adults who maintain a higher level of physical and mental health as they grow older. Furthermore, feeling satisfied with your sex life — whatever your levels of sexual activity — is closely related to your perceived quality of life.” He added that “while we cannot assess cause and effect from this study, these results suggest that maintaining a high level of sexual satisfaction may positively reinforce other psychological aspects of successful aging.”

Final analysis: women who are happy with their sex lives are generally happier with their lives overall. So, why are you reading this? Turn off the computer and get busy. It’s good for your health.