Recent findings show that approximately 61% of sexually active older women in their 60s through to their 80s were happy with their sex lives and this was also the case for those who did not have a partner or who were not at that time sexually active. 67% said they achieved orgasm most of the time or always. Is the concept of female sexual dysfunction therefore all a load of hype? Is it true then that it is a condition created by the pharmaceutical companies in order to make mega bucks? Or are older women just enjoying sex more with age? Conversely, only one five of these women reported having a high sex drive.
The study was carried out at the University of San Diego in order to assess sexual activity and levels of satisfaction among women over the age of 60. 806 women participated and they were an average age of 67 years. Both the youngest and oldest women showed the highest levels of satisfaction. The results of this study are published in the American Journal of Medicine.
The researchers explained that the satisfaction they experienced with their sex lives was based on their need to keep their relationships functioning. They also suggest that the older these women got, the more the feeling of closeness, of the emotional and physical kind, would suffice and help women become sexually satisfied. Furthermore, the study showed that some women who were in long-term relationships could be fully satisfied by a touch or caress.
Half of the women over the age of 80 reported that they experienced orgasm most of the time but rarely did they report sexual desire. This contrasts with the traditional scientific explanation that desire comes before sex according to those who carried out the research. Using evidence from the study and looking at this traditional model we can see that there are reasons beyond desire that spur on a woman’s choice to engage in sexual activity.
The study’s author also suggests that the emotional or physical closeness in a relationship can heavily outweigh the importance of having an orgasm. The author suggests that the study could indicate a need for a more positive approach to sexual wellbeing among women and the potential need to move away from the limiting focus on sexual activity and function on their own.