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Page 1 of 2  It is a common belief that as you get older, you lose your sex drive and sexual intimacy is no longer an option. This is a myth and an extremely erroneous one at that. A person’s sex drive may experience some changes as a result of many factors, but it does not necessarily disappear. The factors that affect sex-drive are psychological and physiological in nature. As a rule of thumb, if you have a healthy sex drive when you’re young, you will continue to have a healthy drive well into your senior years; however, if you’re an ice box in your twenties, you can’t expect a dramatic change without a lot of work and motivation.
Sexual Changes with Age
The primary physiological changes that occur in both men and women are due to the change in hormone levels; testosterone levels in men and estrogen levels in women. The gradual decrease in these hormones causes a variety of changes in the physical ability to perform sexually; however, these changes can be overcome with time, patience and communication.
Physiological Changes in Men
For men, these physical changes occur over a period of time. As a man ages, there is a decrease in the amount of circulating testosterone; this stabilizes by about 60 years of age. As a result of this decrease in testosterone levels, it will take a man much longer to achieve a full erectile state. At a young age, a man is able to obtain an erection with visual and mental stimulation; however, as a man ages, he will need more direct manual stimulation in order to achieve the same affect.
There is also a decrease in the length of time a man is able to maintain an erection prior to ejaculation. This is due to a variety of other physical factors that affect blood flow - such as hypertension, diabetes, cardiac arrhythmias, to name a few. There is also a decrease in the force of ejaculation, due to a reduction in the sperm count. The refractory phase of sexual intercourse is also lengthened. It will take a man much longer to have the ability to have another orgasm, usually 12 to 24 hours. This time period increases as a man continues to age.
Another very important fact to remember is the following: If a man discontinues sexual activity in his fifties to sixties, he will have a much greater chance of having impotency problems, versus if he continues sexual activity whereby the chances of impotency are far less.
Physiological Changes in Women
In women, the physiological changes are not as great as for men; however, they can have very negative affects, causing many women to forego sexual activity.
As women age, menopause causes a decrease in estrogen production which lessens the chance of impregnation. This can have psychological effects on some women, which will be discussed further in the next section.
As a result of this decrease in estrogen production, there are some changes that will occur that have the potential for making sexual encounters painful. In general there is atrophy of the vaginal tissue; it loses its elasticity and the tissue begins to thin. There is a decrease in natural lubrication, which will necessitate the use of artificial lubricant. The size of clitoral, vulvar and labial tissue decreases, along with the size of the cervix, uterus and ovaries. However, the sensitivity of the clitoris remains the same as when a woman is younger.
The sexual tension felt prior to an orgasm decreases and the orgasmic contractions are less. These contractions can be painful for some women. The good news: if a woman was multi-orgasmic prior to menopause, she will continue to have the ability to be so.
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