SEX AND THE SIXTIES
Pensioners have a healthier life if they have fun in the bedroom
HAVING an active sex life in your 60s and 70s is good for your health, a study found.
People who continued to have sex in later life had higher “enjoyment of life” scores than those who were not sexually active.
And researchers said it showed that encouraging older people to stay sexually active could bring “benefits both for the individual and for the sustainability of health services” by boosting well-being.
The study, led by Anglia Ruskin University and University College London involved more than 6,800 adults in England, with an average age of 65. It found any type of sexual activity gave men and woman a boost, but intercourse was more important for blokes.
For women, kissing, petting, and fondling was more associated with a higher enjoyment of life than intercourse. But more intercourse was associated with greater enjoyment of life for men.
Co-author Dr Lee Smith said: “Older adults are not asexual.
“It may be beneficial for physicians to query geriatric patients about their sexual activity and offer help for sexual difficulties, such as problems with erections.”