‘THE INTERNET SAVES ANY AWKWARDNESS’
Experts tell us, women who enjoy regular orgasms have a decreased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Since meeting my partner, I feel like I’ve woken up out of a long stupor, when I could so easily have waved goodbye to my sex life.
It takes stamina – I swim, do Pilates, try to eat less carbs – but I’ve accepted my body.
When I talk to friends who found love later in life, we agree it doesn’t matter how you explain the basis for your relationship: love, companionship, friends with benefits… Definitions seem important when you’re young – when you’re older what matters is that you have fun, understand each other and miss one another when you’re apart.
There’s no shame in being single – it’s a valid life choice. But, after years of deciding that passion wasn’t for me, it’s lovely to feel I’m having the best sex yet.
Rhian Kivits, Relate trained therapist, and sex and relationship expert, says:
Many older women are freeing themselves from the stigma around female sexual expression that they may have encountered in their youth.
Women should familiarise themselves with condoms, lubricants and sex toys that are on the market today – plus we can now buy pretty much anything via the internet, which saves any awkwardness.
The rise of STIS in over-65s could be attributed to a reluctance to talk about condoms, especially among those who were once in long-term relationships. They may not be focused on using protection if they see it only as a means of pregnancy prevention, but the immune system weakens with age.
Pain during urination, increased vaginal discharge and itching are symptoms of gonorrhoea and chlamydia. You should visit your GP if you are concerned.
Women may also be at risk of bleeding during intercourse due to the slight thinning of the skin that happens as a result of menopause. Although hormonal changes can contribute to problems such as vaginal dryness and low libido, lack of arousal, loss of confidence and issues of self-perception can also be a factor. But older women absolutely do not need to give up on their sex lives!