When you age and your body changes, it is common to wonder how your sex life will be altered with age. Will you still be interested in having sex? Will the sex continue to be as pleasurable as it was when you were younger? How does the body change with sexual functions as you age? While there are some changes in the sexual response cycle that is associated with aging, there are many ways to maintain and enjoy a healthy and active sex life at any age. Just because you are another year older, doesn’t mean that the sex will get worse.

Common changes

With age, the sexual response cycle changes, but these changes don’t necessarily impact the actual quality of someone’s sex life in a way that isn’t positive. Both men and women have different changes to their sexual response cycles. It is common for men to have a delay or even an inability to develop an erection, difficulty achieving an orgasm, or a longer time between repeat sexual episodes. Many women experience changes like lower blood flow to the vagina decreased natural lubrication, decreased vaginal elasticity, increased need for arousal, and less frequent or strong orgasms. Though these changes may seem serious, they are natural and can vary depending on the person. No matter what changes your body experiences, a pleasurable sex life can be possible just by making a few simple alterations!

How Men change with age

The excitement phase
As you age, it can potentially take longer for an erection to develop. When a male is younger, it may take just a few seconds to achieve an erection, however, as you age many males take longer to become aroused and will need more intense physical stimulation in order to become fully erect. A major cause of this is a decrease in testosterone, which begins in the mid-twenties as a gradual decline. Also problems with blood circulation and a decrease in sensitivity to the penis.

Once achieving an erection, some men have trouble maintaining it, which could be a clear sign of erectile dysfunction. Erectile dysfunction can be caused by either psychological or physiological factors including neurological changes, post-surgical effects, life choices, stress, vascular deficiencies, or even depression. In many cases, there are treatments that work for reducing the symptoms of erectile dysfunction. For those that are experiencing erectile dysfunction, https://centersforsexualmedicine.com/erectile-dysfunction,from a physiological cause, prescription medications or simple procedures such as Corewave ™ Therapy, https://centersforsexualmedicine.com/corewave-therapy, can assist in once again achieving an erection. If erectile dysfunction occurs because of psychological reasons, there are many ways to assist in treating it. Avoiding drugs, exercising, having a healthy diet, and communication can all contribute to minimizing the impact of erectile dysfunction.

The plateau phase
With age, males may have “softer” erections than when they were much younger. Until the end of the plateau phase, a complete erection may not occur, rather than at the beginning, after continuous stimulation. Once in the plateau phase, some older males can remain there longer before they climax than when they were younger, which can either enhance the overall sexual pleasure or not.

The orgasm phase
During an orgasm, there may be fewer contractions than once that was achieved at a younger age, which can lead to an orgasm being less intense overall. With age, the pressure of ejaculation and volume of semen may also decrease. Even if this sounds less than positive, older males can acquire the increased ability to control their orgasm longer during sex, which can allow them to last much longer, a skill that can be tricky when younger.

The resolution phase
Following a sexual experience, older male’s penises may return to their flaccid state faster than younger males. With age, the refractory period is increased since the body will need more time to recover from heavy physical activity. For men in their early 20’s, the refractory period (having sex again after completing intercourse) can be as short as 3 to 5 minutes, however, with age, this period will lengthen from just a few minutes to potentially even longer.

How Women change with age

The excitement phase
As time goes on, women experience a decrease in blood flow to the vagina (vasocongestion) and natural lubrication. With less vasocongestion, the elasticity of the vagina upon arousal is decreased. For females that lack lubrication, consider investing in a synthetic, water-based lubrication to reduce friction and increase the amount of overall activity. There are many different types of lubricants that work well, so don’t be afraid to mix it up and see what is perfect for you and your partner. Other things that may provide a longer-term solution could be hormonal therapy or the Mona Lisa Touch Laser, https://centersforsexualmedicine.com/women.

The plateau phase
For older women, it is possible to take longer to become aroused and then actually stay aroused than when they were younger. This may require more stimulation time as well as an increase in intensity.

The orgasm phase
During an orgasm, there may be fewer muscle contractions, which can result in a less powerful orgasm. This can be due to the pubococcygeal muscles weakening with age. Even with these muscles losing their strength, Kegel exercises can be implemented into a daily routine to keep these muscles strong enough for a more intense orgasm to take place.

What are Kegel exercises?
They are exercises that consist of repeatedly tightening and releasing the muscle. To begin these exercises, and locate the muscles you want to target, stop your urination stream and pinpoint the pubococcygeal muscles. With the practice of tightening and releasing the muscle, you can increase sexual response, pleasure, and the likelihood of reaching an orgasm. Orgasms may be less frequent, however with more stimulation they can be achieved.

The resolution phase
Following an orgasm, the body may take less time to return to a neutral state than for younger females. This is because it is more difficult for the body to maintain aroused following stimulation.

Menopause
During menopause, it can be difficult to have intercourse. However, man can continue to enjoy sex both before and afterward. Biological changes can lead to dramatic physical changes since estrogen, testosterone and progesterone will be decreased. Menopause signals the end of fertility, so many females report having more satisfying sex because they no longer have to worry about becoming pregnant. Some women may experience servere vaginal dryness, lower libido and pain with intercourse. These can all be helped with the proper therapy.

Just because we get older doesn’t mean our sexual relationships have to suffer. No matter how old you are, people can still have rewarding and exciting sex lives. It is important to stay healthy. The healthier you are the better and long lasting your sexual life will become. Sexual activity and pleasure do not need to decrease. By being able to make adjustments, a healthy sex life can be one that lasts.