Sex is usually associated with individuals who are younger than age 50 and the convention says sex belongs to the younger persons. At least that’s what many people think. But scientifically and realistically, that impression is a myth. Most of us are actually sexier than society presumes. All that is healthy and no longer a social taboo.
In the first comprehensive national study in the United States on the sexual behavior, attitude, and problems among those age 57 and older showed that this age group was sexually active. There was only a slight drop in the frequency between 57 and early 70s.
More than 50 percent of those between 75 and 85 were having sex at least 2 to 3 times a month, and 23 percent of them doing it at least once a week. More men in each age group were sexually active compared to women.
This study involves 3,005 adults (1,550 women and 1,455 men), aged 57 to 85, who were interviewed in their homes. Twenty-six percent of them were between age 75 and 85.
“This gives us, for the first time, the most comprehensive and nationally representative data on sexuality for men and women and makes a particular contribution with regard to knowledge of older women’s sexuality,” according to lead researcher, Dr. Stacy Tesser Lindau, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and of Medicine-Geriatrics at the University of Chicago, published in last Fall’s issue of the New England Journal of Medicine
“This is a premier study debunks some myths that sex and old age don’t go together, and it places this in the context of health and health problems.” commented Marcia G. Ory, Professor of Social and Behavioral Health and Director of the Aging and Health Promotion Program at Texas A&M Health Science Center School of Rural Public Health.
Indeed, sexual intimacy is a healthy natural part of our life, no matter the age, as long as our physiology and body would allow it. Although the frequency declines with age as our sex hormones and stamina decline, sex simply changes but it does not disappear.
“Everything slows down whether you like it or not, but as you get older sex has the potential to be a deeper, more loving experience without the franticness that young people experience. There’s a real magic in that. Intimacy isn’t just sex, it’s all-encompassing. There’s so much to be gained by sex not being the main feature,” words of wisdom from the directors of rural retreats on “reconnecting with your partner.”
A great “accident”
The serendipitous (accidental) discovery in March 27, 1998 that the substance being studied by Pfizer Lab as a heart medication had a very useful side effect (erection of male genitalia) was a wonderful surprise even to its researchers!
That “little blue pill that changed the world” was Viagra (sildenafil citrate), whose sales were more than $1Billion a year after its launching in 1998, and $2.7 Billion in 2007. In 2012 alone, more than 8 million Viagra prescriptions were written. The 100 mg tablet is around $22-$25 each. The generic version is coming out in 2017. The two others that followed were Cialis (tadalafil) and Levitra (vardenafil). It is estimated that more than 30 million men in the United States and more than 100 million worldwide are benefiting from these wonder pills today, to the delight of their partners.
My very first article as a columnist of Cebu Daily News (maiden issue, February 8, 1998) was about Viagra on June 18, 1998, a couple of months before the drug hit the market in the United States. Four years later, I did an update on Viagra in my column in Philippine News.
Lovemaking is good at any age
Scientific evidences suggest that clean sex is good for us in more ways than one. Here are some of the dozen reasons why it is so.
Sex is a beauty treatment. Medical tests show that when women make love they produce amounts of the hormone estrogen, which makes their hair shine and skin smooth.
Gentle, relaxed lovemaking reduces your chances of suffering dermatitis, skin rashes and blemishes. The sweat produced cleanses the skin pores and makes your skin glow.
Lovemaking can burn up some of those calories you piled on during that romantic dinner, albeit only about 90 calories (22.5 calories after 15 minutes of foreplay and about 67.5 calories during actual intercourse for 15 minutes). It even helps maintain a healthy prostate.
Sex is one of the safest sports you can take up. It stretches and tones up just about every muscle in the body. It’s more enjoyable than swimming 20 laps, jogging a couple of miles, and you don’t even need special sneakers! But this is not enough exercise, and not a substitute for daily brisk walking, dancing, aerobics, etc.
Sex is an instant cure for mild depression. It releases endorphins into the bloodstream, producing a sense of euphoria and leaving you with a feeling of well-being. People who have sex regularly are happier.
The more sex you have, the more you will be offered. The sexually active body gives off greater quantities of chemicals called pheromones. These subtle sex perfumes drive the opposite sex crazy! But this is not a reason for not taking a shower because the body continues to give off thi hormone after a bath or shower.
Sex is the safest tranquilizer in the world. It is 10 times more effective than Valium and other sedatives when it comes to providing the individual the sense of relief, satisfaction, fulfillment and tranquility.
Kissing each day will also keep the dentist away. Kissing encourages saliva to wash food from the teeth and lowers the level of the acid that causes decay, preventing plaque build-up.
Sex actually relieves headaches. A lovemaking session can release the tension that restricts blood vessels on the surface of the brain.
Lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose. Sex is a natural antihistamine by producing adrenalin in the blood stream. In many cases it can help prevent asthma, hay fever or mild allergies.
Individuals who have special concerns on this matter should consult with their physician for appropriate medical advice.
Lovemaking is only a small part of true love and caring between husband and wife or lovers. As long as you are able to feel and give love to that special person in your life, the actual physical and sexual expression of this sentiment is secondary. And as couples grow older together, the physical affection is gradually transformed into a longer lasting, sacred, and spiritual love for each other. A love that truly binds two soul mates into one as they grow old together and for the rest of their life.
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Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus in Northwest Indiana and chairman of cardiac surgery from 1997 to 2010 at Cebu Doctors University Hospital, where he holds the title of Physician Emeritus in Surgery, is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the Philippine College of Surgeons, and the Denton A. Cooley Cardiovascular Surgical Society. He is the chairman of the Filipino United Network – USA, a 501(c)(3) humanitarian foundation in the United States. Email: [email protected]
