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Not in the mood tonight, dear? Not to worry, according to a study on sexual activity and satisfaction of older women.

A majority of women reported sexual satisfaction increases with age -- and arousal and orgasm are frequent, despite having low sexual desire. Women want to engage in sex for multiple reasons, including sustaining relationships even when the libido wanes late in life, the authors conclude in the report in January's The American Journal of Medicine.

"A more positive approach to female sexual health focusing on sexual satisfaction may be more beneficial to women than a focus limited to sexual activity or dysfunction," author and physician Susan Trompeter says in a press release.

The authors note that earlier studies show low sexual desire correlates to low levels of arousal and orgasm. For example, a 2006 study of 50,000 women ages 18 to 101 reported the most common problem regarding satisfaction was low desire.

The latest study involved 806 women who are part of ongoing, 40-year research and live in a planned community near San Diego. The researchers are from the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System. The women answered questions about the prevalence of their sexual activity, health, hormone use, frequency of arousal, lubrication, orgasm, discomfort and sexual desire and satisfaction.

The mean age was 67 years, and 63% were postmenopausal. Sexual activity could include caressing, foreplay, masturbation and intercourse. Half who reported having a partner had been sexually active in the past four weeks.

Also among the findings:

67% achieved orgasm most of the time or always. The youngest and oldest women in the study reported the highest frequency of orgasm satisfaction.

The highest frequency of arousal was reported by the youngest women, but at least one in five women 80 or older reported arousal and orgasm almost always or always.

Most sexually active women were moderately satisfied (24%) or very satisfied (54%) with the amount of emotional closeness during sex. Satisfaction with the amount of emotional closeness was associated with more frequent orgasm.

Sexual frequency decreased as the participants aged, but almost half (47.5%) of the oldest women reported sexual satisfaction almost always or always. The youngest women reported being very satisfied less frequently (33.5%).

(c) Copyright 2012 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Co. Inc.  

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lwwings In my personal experience, sexual desire was a direct consequence of sexual satisfaction. When I received NO sexual satisfaction (for YEARS in my marriage . . . I never told him !), I found that I had little or no desire for sex . . . for the most part, it was just another chore to be done at the end of the day. I DID very much love the emotional and physical intimacy, but received NO sexual release. Now at 54 years old, I am a widow of 8 years and HAVE (finally) figured out what turns me on, I VERY much regret that this part of my marriage was not all that it could have (and should have)been. How could I tell him what to do if I didn't even know myself ??? I was mortified and always felt that something was WRONG with me !

I think that for so long a time before this modern era, a woman's sexual desire not even been on the table for discussion . . . she really wasn't even supposed to get anything out of it . . . it's always been primarily about the man. I STILL feel somewhat "guilty" about feeling sexual desire and orgasm . . . frankly, even today, LOTS of my own friends cannot talk openly with each other about it . . . and that's a shame.
Wed Jan 18, 2012, 11:19:10 AM EST

BSD1007 So few men understand the needs of women.I am amazed at the false bravado and outright lies told .I believe there is a psychological history attached to both sexes that transfers to an on going patern of disappointment,just converse with each other.Talk,find out what you both need.It's not just sex,it should be more.
Mon Jan 23, 2012, 2:50:43 PM EST

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