Senior Sex: Tips for Senior Citizens

Physical issues

• Decreased testosterone levels
• Poor health and stamina associated with age
• Chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, heart disease, or arthritis
• Vaginal dryness
• Hormonal changes (menopause, breast atrophy)
• Bladder or bowel control problems
• Side effects of medications

Mental or emotional issues

• Fear, stress, or anxiety about performance
• Decreased desire
• Depression
• Dementia
• Erectile dysfunction
• Body image concerns

1. Talk to your partner
   • Communicate with your partner about your thoughts, fears, and desires concerning sex.
   • Sharing your needs, desires, and concerns can help you both enjoy sex and intimacy.
   • You can still practice other forms of sex if penetrative sex tires you out.
2. Take your time
   • Arousal is slower than it used to be, so be patient with yourself and your partner.
   • Think about your partner’s point of view, which lets you express yourself without hurting feelings.
   • Taking bodily changes into account, try different sexual positions that both partners find comfortable and pleasurable.
3. Accept the bodily changes and adapt accordingly
   • Change the time of day you have sex to a time when you have the most energy.
   • Try the morning when you are refreshed from a good night's sleep rather than at the end of a long and tiring day.
   • Because it might take longer for you or your partner to get aroused, take more time to set the stage for romance, such as extensive touching or kissing.
4. Do not give up on spending quality time together
   • Intercourse is not the only way to have a fulfilling sex life. Touching or kissing can be equally rewarding for you and your partner.
   • Even if you have health problems or physical disabilities, you can engage in intimate acts and benefit from closeness with your partner.
   • Kissing stimulates the brain, revs up the sex drive, and creates a bonding between the couple.
5. Take care of yourself
   • Maintaining a healthy sex life requires taking adequate care of yourself and staying as healthy as you can through measures, such as:
     • Eating a healthy and well-balanced diet
     • Exercising regularly
     • Avoiding or limiting alcohol
     • Avoiding smoking
6. See a doctor, counselor, or sex therapist if needed
   • Your doctor can help manage chronic conditions and medications that may affect your sex life.
   • A sex therapist could help you and your partner with specific concerns and come up with ways to meet your needs as a couple.
   • If a condition, such as arthritis, makes it hard to enjoy sex, they can suggest new positions that are more comfortable and satisfying for both partners.
7. Safe sex is still essential
   • Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are equal-opportunity diseases; they do not discriminate by age. Hence, anyone is at risk if safety is compromised.
   • Some common STDs include chlamydia, genital warts or herpes, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, syphilis, and trichomoniasis.

A good sexual life has the power to:

• Improve mental and physical health: It boosts the immune system, burns calories, lowers blood pressure, helps you relax by releasing endorphins, reduces anxiety-related issues, eases pain, keeps your mind sharp, and may lessen the risk of heart attack and prostate cancer.
• Increase lifespan: A good sex life can add years to your life through its health-improving benefits.
• Strengthen relationships: Sex is an opportunity to express the closeness of your relationship.
• Provide refuge: Sex gives you a chance to escape from the harsh realities of the world.