Your Sex Life at 50+

The good news in your 50s:  For many couples, the empty nest equals sex time! One in 3 people in their 50s get jiggy with it at least once a week. 

 Reality check in your 50s: Things might go a little slower than they used to. But, hey, the romance and happiness should still be there. 

• You’re having lots of fun between the sheets … Up to 91 percent of men and 86 percent of women who are in their 50s are sexually active, according to a recent national study. And up to 80 percent of you say these intimate encounters are good, both emotionally and physically.   

• … especially if you’ve been taking care of yourself. Compared with others in poor or so-so health, men and women who gave their overall physical well-being high marks were up to 80 percent more likely to be interested in sex, 60 percent more likely to have sex one or more times a week and 70 percent more likely to have good sex and more likely to keep enjoying physical intimacy as they move into their 60s and 70s.  

• You may need to take longer breaks between lovemaking … In college, a man’s refractory period (the time he needs between orgasms) can be as short as three to five minutes. By his 50s, it could be 10 to 12 hours. 

• … and most men can still perform just fine … About 1 in 3 men between 50 and 64 experience erectile dysfunction, but more than half never develop it. The biggest risk to potency may be prostate problems: Men with prostate cancer are 10 to 15 times more likely to experience sexual dysfunction. In nearly all cases, the sexual difficulties stem from the treatment, rather than from the cancer itself.  

• … but most women will need a helping hand. “Vaginal atrophy” is the term for thinning, drying and inflammation of the vaginal walls after menopause, caused by a reduction in estrogen. Up to 39 percent of women experience vaginal dryness a year after menopause. Your doctor may suggest specific treatments, such as estrogen cream or, perhaps, an oral medication, to increase libido.