Are Women More Sexually Satisfied as They Get Older?

By Tara Weng, GalTime.com

Are women more sexually satisfied as they get older?
Are women more sexually satisfied as they get older?


According to new a study published in The American Journal of Medicine, sexual satisfaction does increase for women as they age.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine and Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System studied over 800 women whose average age was 67. They found that although the participants' sexual activity did decrease with age, nearly 70 percent of the sexually active women always or usually achieved orgasm, and the youngest and oldest women reported the highest frequency of orgasm satisfaction.

Related: 7 Health Benefits of Sex

While older age is largely considered a predictor of low sexual satisfaction, this study found the percentage of sexually satisfied women actually increased with age. In fact, about half the women older than 80 reported sexual satisfaction almost always or always, according to the research. Additionally the oldest women in the study who were sexually active had orgasm satisfaction rates similar to those of the youngest women.

One of the study authors points out that the women tracked didn't necessarily need sexual activity to achieve satisfaction.

"Emotional and physical closeness to the partner may be more important than experiencing orgasm. A more positive approach to female sexual health focusing on sexual satisfaction may be more beneficial to women than a focus limited to female sexual activity or dysfunction," says Dr. Susan Trompeter, an associate clinical professor in the division of general internal medicine at UCSD School of Medicine.

Ultimately this study indicates that desire is not the main motivation for women who are sexually active in their 60s, 70's and 80's.

More from GalTime:

Is It OK To Fake It?

Do You Need Adventurous Sex to Keep Love Alive?

Would You Settle for Mediocre Sex and a Great Relationship?