Being north of 50 does not make you an automatic sexpert. Bet there are a few little tidbits about sex that just happened to have slipped by you over the years. Well, let us school you. We’ve gathered a few interesting morsels about s-e-x that just might surprise you!
1) Folks love to masturbate. Women masturbate eight times a month on average or twice a week. Men average about 15 times a month or every other day (this is no surprise). Thirty percent of women find masturbation more pleasurable than the sexual act with a partner. Even though hormonal levels shift in late middle age/early old age, the urge to masturbate may lessen, but it often doesn’t disappear. A study conducted by researchers at Indiana University’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion revealed that 46 percent of men and 33 percent of women over age 70 reported that they still masturbate. If folks are in good health, this desire is often retained throughout much of their lifespan.
2) Women love sex toys! In this country, about 42 percent of women own a sex toy compared to only 20 percent of men. Women are also more likely to enjoy these toys because they improve the sexual intensity of masturbation. Menopausal women tend to experience dryness and sex toys appear to eliminate the “pause” in menopause.
3) A man does not have to have an erection to achieve orgasm. As men age, many tend to suffer from erectile dysfunction. When a man is erect, the blood vessels in his penis are engorged but this is not the only way he can orgasm. A man can receive anal stimulation, be mentally aroused, or receive penile stimulation, and all without his penis standing at full attention. These alternative forms of stimulation might take longer for a man to achieve an orgasm but he will have fun getting there.
4) Shaving or waxing your pubic hair may increase your chances of getting a sexually transmitted disease (STD). The rates of STD’s in older adults are rising. Older people who are sexually active may be at risk for diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydial infection, genital herpes, hepatitis B, genital warts, and trichomoniasis. Shaving the pubic area can result in cuts, lesions, bumps, ingrown hairs that can be open pathways to getting an infection. There is also an old myth that waxing kills infection…NOT!
5) Male Kegel exercises helps with premature ejaculation and maintaining strong erections. Women are not the only sex who practice doing Kegels; men are doing them too. There are many different causes of erectile and ejaculatory problems, and male Kegels may not solve all your sexual woes but they are certainly worth trying:
Here’s how to do the male version of a Kegel: Squeeze the muscles that you would use to stop the stream of urine and hold the contraction for 1 to 2 seconds (concentrate on only using your pelvic muscles, and not your glutes, thigh, or hip muscles). Release. Repeat 30 times, resting one minute when you’re finished. Perform 3 sets, 3 to 4 times a week.
6) Smoking can put the kibosh on sex. Even if you only light up on occasion, your libido will lessen. “Smoking has a direct, negative effect on the sexuality of a man on every level,” says Panayiotis M. Zavos, Ph.D., professor emeritus in reproductive physiology/andrology at the University of Kentucky. A study found that men who actually quit smoking will open themselves up to having firmer erections which would help an older man experiencing erectile dysfunction issues.
7) Sex is a health booster. According to scientific research, sex can actually lower blood pressure and stress, lessen the effects of migraines, and boost overall immunity. People who have sex at least once a week have been shown to benefit from higher levels of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that protects you from illness. A healthy sex life can also reduce cancer risk in men. A large study in the British Medical Journal found that men who ejaculated at least 21 times per month were less likely to get prostate cancer as opposed to those who only ejaculated four to seven times per month.
8) A romp in the sheets helps with weight loss. Need to burn calories? Having an average sex session can burn about 100 calories for men and 69 for women.
9) Men fake orgasms too! Women aren’t the only ones who fake orgasms, men are guilty of doing the same thing. Men’s versions of faking involve using a combination of moaning, vocalizations, and changes in physical movements. On average, studies show that men tend to take about seven minutes from penetration to climax. If a man believes he’s taking too long, he may decide it’s best to fake the orgasm and get the sexual act over with. They also tend to fake orgasms because of premature ejaculation, erectile dysfunction, or just to please their partners when they aren’t really into it.
10) Lubrication helps you achieve orgasm. Research from Indiana University’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion shows that more than two-thirds of men, and nearly as many women have used lube, and that almost half of the people who reported using it said, it helps them orgasm.
