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| health > seniors > story page |         |
Sex over 60August 9, 1999
By Deb Levine, M.A.
(WebMD) -- Americans today are living longer, fuller, more active lives than ever before. Older people's days are now chock-full of activities such as power walking, teaching classes, yoga and sex. Since most of our images of sexy, sexual people focus on younger and midlife adults, it's hard to imagine that anyone over 60 is actually sexual. But seniors today are proving us wrong, and are going for the gusto! Sexual dysfunction as we age is not inevitable. With the right information and a little help from a good health-care provider, older people can often have great sex right through until their last days. The most common sexual problems experienced by older adults are in the area of sexual response. For women, estrogen replacement therapy (ERT) can directly replace hormonal loss from menopause, so that body changes that lead to painful sex are reversed. Sexual desire usually returns once the discomfort of sex is relieved. Lubricant is another easy choice, instead of or in addition to ERT, to resolve sexual discomfort as women age. For men, erectile dysfunction in the later years can be the result of underlying factors such as diabetes, depression, traumatic injury or heart disease. Certain medications can also cause erectile dysfunction. The new pharmaceutical Viagra should virtually eliminate this problem. Most men are now able to have fully erect, sexually functioning organs just in time for their sexual activity. And a little extra foreplay should be able to take care of any other irritating difficulties resulting from normal aging. Perceived attractiveness changes as we age; people in their later years may have gained weight, added wrinkles and lost muscle tone. Changing your sexual focus from physical traits to mental and spiritual qualities can help stimulate a healthy senior sex life. Add some extra time for stimulation, a dose of communication and cuddling, and you've got a recipe for sexual satisfaction. Here's some more advice on keeping your sex life alive and well as you approach your later years:
Deb Levine, BSW, MA, is an author, health educator and a social worker. She has been giving sexuality and relationship advice on the Web almost since its inception. Copyright 1999 by WebMD, Inc. All rights reserved. RELATEDS AT  :
Erectile dysfunction RELATED SITES: National Council on Aging LATEST HEALTH STORIES: China SARS numbers pass 5,000
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