2023-07-13 08:32:48
July 13, 2023
Pursuing a fulfilling sex life should not be incompatible with advancing age. However, several changes occur as we age. It is better to know them to better overcome them.
The physiological changes associated with aging are natural. In women, we observe in particular a shortening of the vagina, as well as the refinement of the vaginal wall and the vulvar mucosa. As a result, lubrication is reduced and leads to increased sensitivity, a longer time before feeling arousal and pain and irritation during penetration. Orgasm can be delayed or even prevented. All these changes are largely caused by a hormonal upheaval, occurring from the menopause, with a drop and then an interruption in the production of estrogen.
In humans, arousal can also come more slowly. Not to mention that the erection can become difficult to obtain. Erectile dysfunction is more common as you get older. Thus, two thirds of men over 70 report suffering from it. Finally, the recovery period between two sexual intercourses is lengthened. Again, the cause is largely hormonal, with a gradual reduction in testosterone production.
Talk to the doctor
As you age, health problems are also more common and numerous. Thus, the disease or the treatments can affect the body and therefore sexuality. Osteoarthritis is notably more frequent, as are cardiovascular diseases.
However, there are many ways to overcome these difficulties to maintain a fulfilling sex life. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor for advice. Besides, “ practitioners should ask their senior patients about their sexual history and normalize conversations about sexual health”says Janie Steckenrider, professor of gerontology at the Loyola Marymount University of the Angels. “Especially since a sudden sexual concern can be a sign of an as yet undiagnosed health problem, an adverse effect of a treatment or a sexually transmitted infection”, she adds.
Source : Better Health While Aging, site internte du Dr Leslie Kernisan, gériatre – The Lancet Healthy Longevity – Sexual activity is associated with greater enjoyment of life in older adults. Sex Med. 2019; 7: 11-18
Written by: Dominique Salomon – Edited by: Emmanuel Ducreuzet
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