A new survey proves that sex doesn’t stop at 50. In fact, it seems, it just gets better.
The commissioned study from dating site Lumen shows that about one third of Australians (30 per cent) over the age of 50 are having the best sex of their lives.
“There is too much stigma around older people enjoying a healthy sex life. But with the average over-50 having sex at least twice a month, the sex survey proves that the fun definitely doesn’t stop when you turn 50 – in fact for many, it gets better,’ said Charly Lester, co-founder of Lumen.
The survey revealed that, on average, Australians over 50 have six partners after turning 50. It also showed they have sex at least two times a month.
The findings reflect those in the Friday Flash Poll: Setting the record straight about sex and ageing, which showed that 22 per cent of the respondents were having sex one to two times a month. One in five said they had sex three to four times a month, nine per cent were having sex five to six times a month, seven per cent seven to eight times a month and six per cent were “getting some” more than 10 times a month.
The Lumen research found that one in five (22 per cent) of the 2000 respondents also said they had become more adventurous in their sex life now that they were older. The majority (57 per cent) attributed this to having fewer inhibitions as they aged, while 38 per cent said they had become more adventurous in the bedroom to keep their relationship alive and 24 per cent said it was because they had more time.
“The research clearly shows that most Aussies over 50 are enjoying active – if not adventurous – sex lives and won’t stop having sex until they are physically unable to,” says Ms Lester. “Unlike their younger counterparts, more free time, less external pressures and an increase in self-confidence as well as a better understanding of their personal sexual preferences, means that this generation is often experiencing the best sex of their lives.”
On the flipside, 41 per cent of respondents felt they had become less adventurous in their sex lives. Of these, almost half (49 per cent) attributed it to an ageing libido, one third (30 per cent) to chronic pain, and 18 per cent to body insecurities.
YourLifeChoices research also showed that diminished libido (21 per cent) was the biggest hindrance to having sex, with erectile dysfunction close behind at 18 per cent.
It also seems that men and women feel differently about their sexual experiences after 50. A quarter (25 per cent) of females stated that body insecurities made them less sexually confident, compared to just 13 per cent of males.
When it comes to the physical act of sex, more than half (54 per cent) of over-50s enjoy two or more different positions during sex.
Older Australians are also big players in the dating game, with 24 per cent of Australian men saying they will have sex on the first date, compared with only four per cent of women. The majority say it would usually take around six dates before sex is in play.
Warning signs should be ringing though for those who don’t take sexual health seriously, as the survey also found that more than one in three Australians over 50 have never been tested for an STD, and those who do only get tested, on average, every 53 months.
Just 10 per cent of sexually active over-50s always use protection when having sex, while one in 20 (five per cent) say they use protection most of the time. As a result, five per cent have contracted an STD since turning 50.
And with just one in eight (12 per cent) saying they use Viagra to keep themselves sexually active, it seems plenty of older Australians still have plenty in the tank.
“With a number of respondents being over 80, 50-year-olds can rest assured they still have another 30 years of great sex ahead of them if they want it!” said Ms Lester.
Are you still sexually active after 50? Are you surprised by any of the survey’s results?
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