by Yagana Shah: The best is yet to come…

Awaken

Think your sex life will go downhill in middle age? Think again. A new study says middle-aged people might be having some of the most raucous, satisfying sex of their lives.

“There is a public perception that as we age, sex becomes less important, less enjoyable and less frequent,” says Dr. Robin Milhausen, sexuality and relationship researcher at the University of Guelph, in a release. “The study findings indicate that most midlife Canadians are indeed leading satisfying and active sexual lives.”

Indeed. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed said they had a pleasurable experience last time they had sex. And those sexual encounters are happening at a pretty healthy frequency.

Two in five respondents who are married or cohabiting said they have sex at least once a week. The majority of those who are coupled also said their relationships are at least somewhat satisfying, if not more.

“Sexual and relationship satisfaction were highly interrelated – and the most emotionally satisfied in their relationships reported the highest level of pleasure.  And married people are reporting sex as pleasurable as their single counterparts, in fact, married men reported more pleasure at last sexual encounter than single men,” Milhausen said.

But it’s not only good, regular sex that respondents reported. A surprising 63 percent said they felt more adventurous sexually than they did a decade ago, wanting to try new things for better satisfaction.

Other interesting findings included communication, adequate foreplay and post-sex affection as things which made sex more enjoyable and satisfying.

Recent studies have shown that older people still have sex, along with sexual desires and thoughts, well past 65. Other studies have found that after 50, many people are still having sex every month.

So there you have it.