Cindy Meston, Ph.D.
AGING AND SEXUAL DESIRE AND ACTIVITY
Why Older Women Don't Want Sex
The age-related decline in sexual interest and desire is frequently reported to be more severe among aging women than men. To this final end, the Janus record mentioned remarkably little adjustment in erotic task across the feminine lifespan duration. 75% married men) are sexually active, as are approximately 30% of women 80 to 102 years (vs. Given that by age 80 and above there are 39 men for every 100 women, opportunity alone may well count for a large portion of such gender differences. Hence, examination of age-related changes in sexual activity may best be understood by examining change across one’s life span rather than comparing incidence between genders. For example, recent research indicates that approximately 56% of committed women over age 60 (vs. Once a week Sixty-eight percent of women aged 39 to 50 engaged in erectile activity at least, as did 65% of women aged 51 to 64, and 74% of women over the age of 65. Masturbation frequency has been noted to fall with age among women but continues to be practiced by approximately half of healthy women over period 60. In contrast to reports of declining sexual desire with age, according to one study conducted in Denmark , 9% of women report an increase in sexual desire during or after menopause. Such assertions are often based on studies which compwill be the incidence of sexual task between aging males and females. More importantly, gender differences in the incidence of masturbation and intercourse are apparent in adolescence and throughout adulthood, not simply among the getting older. 63% of males). In analyses of this characteristics Normally, intimate interest and activity happen to be sized by intercourse frequency solely.
One primary cause of decreased sexual desire in postmenopausal women is decreased vaginal lubrication and/or a thinning of the vaginal lining which leads to pain during vaginal intercourse. A shortage of bioavailable testo-sterone may in addition decrease sexual intimacies wish in girls. Possibly, women who experience an increase in testosterone production during or after menopause also experience an increase in sexual desire. In such cases, sexual desire generally returns once some form of treatment (e.g., estrogen, lubricants) has relieved the symptoms. When estrogen levels decline, FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) and LH (Luteinizing hormone) are increased in an effort to stimulate estrogen production. The increase in FSH and LH stimulate certain cells in the ovarian stromal tissue to produce testosterone. Of course psychological factors such as elimination of the fear of conception may also play a role in increasing sexual desire postmenopause. Although there is no absolute level of testosterone necessary for sexual desire, it possesses been suggested that there is a threshold of circulating androgen, below which desire levels are affected. Records of increased sexual wish among growing old ladies may well end up explained by hormonal adjustments which occur here menopause also. There is wide variability among women with regard to efficiency in producing testosterone in thwill be manner.
PHYSIOLOGICAL ASPECTS OF AGING AND SEXUALITY
Impact of Menopause
Menopause, which occurs for most women around age 50, is associated with significant reductions in levels of estrogen, progesterone, and androgen. Following menopause, estrogen will be nearly only produced from peripheral alteration of adrenal androgens. The vaginal epithelium, which will be estrogen reliant very, becomes flattened and loses glycogen which leads to a decrease in lactobacillus, lactic acid, and a rise in abnormal pH. Vaginal secretions decrease in quantity as a result of both atrophy of the Bartholin glands and a decrease in the number and maturity of vaginal cells. For such reasons, dyspareunia is the most common sexual complaint among older women seeking gynecological consultation (Bachmann, Leiblum & Grill, 1989). With decreased estrogenic stimulation, the uterus will be reduced in size and the total collagen and elastic content decreased by 30-50%. The uterine cervix becomes atrophic and loses fibromuscular stroma also, and the ovary, with no remaining follicles, come to be decreased in measurement and pounds and the ovarian stromal structure gets fibrotic and sclerotic. Mutually with reduced penile lubrication, the reduction in thickness of the epithelium from approximately 8 to 10 cell layers to 3 to 4 cell layers may lead to postcoital bleeding, mild burning sensations during intercourse, and pain. These alterations affect the vaginal microbial population and put aging women at a greater risk for developing bacterial infections. Around age 65, there is a further fall in adrenal androgen production. The fall in estrogen which accompanies menopause turns to a authentic amount of common, age-related changes in genital appearance. Such modifications include: a decrease in pubic hair, a damage of excess weight and subcutaneous cells from the mons pubis, atrophy of the labia majora, and damage and shortening of elasticity of the genital barrel or clip.
The Sexual Response Cycle
In addition to structural changes which occur among normal aging women, big hot nude older woman there are age-related alterations which influence the sexual response cycle. During the excitement phase, due to the bloodstream movement and genital engorgement will be significantly less than in youthful women of all ages and uses more time to take place. Whereas in more radiant women of all ages the exhilaration phase with lubrication may consider simply 10 to 15 secs, in the postmenopausal gal it might take up to 5 moments or more time. Despite these physiological changes which occur with aging, several studies have reported that postmenopausal women report little or not changes in the subjective or psychological experience of erotic arousal. Abnormal lubrication is usually late and decreased inside quantity also. This may be less marked in women who continue to be sexually active than in those who are celibate, although the precise mechanism for this is not necessarily well understood. The lower in vaginal lubrication and vasocongestion may contribute to dryness of the vagina and may help to make intercourse painful. A variety of topical lubricants such as K-Y Jelly or Astroglide have been successfully used to help compensate for insufficient vaginal lubrication. For women who prefer not to use a lubricant during intercourse, nonhormonal preparations such as Replens or oil from a vitamin E capsule applied vaginally every other day may significantly improve vaginal dryness, as may taking oral zinc or eating foods rich in zinc (e.g., nuts, seafood, wheat germ).
The plateau phase of sexual responding is prolonged in the older woman, uterine elevation is less, the labia majora do not elevate to the same degree as in younger years, and the bosoms turn out to be much less vasocongested and nipple erection will be much less probable to occur. Women retain multiorgasmic capacity, although the amount and level of orgasmic and rectal contractions will be lowered. As is the case in men, resolution in the older woman will be characterized by a rapid loss of vasocongestion. The orgasmic response, however, will come to be definitely not drastically damaged with age group. While younger women average 5 to 10 vaginal contractions with orgasm, the older woman averages 2 to 3 .
Where To Find Older Women For Sex
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ILLNESS, MEDICATION USE AND SEXUALITY AMONG THE ELDERLY
