Women: Aging Well, Living Well

The three most common sexual issues reported by women are:

Not being in the mood for sex
Trouble becoming aroused (vaginal dryness) and having orgasms
Pain during sex or sexual activity

As a woman ages her vagina becomes shorter and narrower, and the walls of the vagina become thinner and a little stiffer. Most women will have less vaginal lubrication as they get older. These physical changes can affect sexual function. Other things that can affect sexual function include illness, disability, and some medicines. These factors can make achieving sexual pleasure harder.

Vaginal Dryness

If you're having vaginal dryness, try using an over-the-counter lubricant. If that doesn't work, talk to your doctor about other treatments, including estrogen therapy. If you are never in the mood for sex or if you have pain during sex, talk to your doctor about it. Don't be embarrassed. These concerns are not uncommon, and your doctor probably has helped many women like yourself. Your doctor can suggest treatments to help you achieve a healthy, satisfying sex life.

On the other hand, some women say they enjoy sex even more as they get older. For women who have reached menopause, no longer having a monthly period or worries about unintended pregnancy can make them feel freer to enjoy sex.

Male Sexual Issues/Difficulties

Male sexual problems do not just affect men. They also affect their female partners. Male sexual problems include:

Not being in the mood for sex
Impotence (being unable to get or keep an erection)
Premature ejaculation (reaching orgasm too fast)
Delayed or inhibited orgasm

As men get older, impotence becomes more common. By age 65, almost one in four men has this problem at least one out of every four times they have sex. This often happens because of other health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes. Some medications also can cause impotence.

If impotence is a problem, there are medicines (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra) men can take to increase blood flow to the penis and help make an erection possible. More and more men today are talking to their doctors and being treated for impotence.

Safer Sex

Many older adults don't think they're at risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) or HIV/AIDS. This is not true! Almost anybody who is sexually active is at risk for getting an STD or HIV, including older adults. And it's much easier for a woman to catch an STD (including HIV). Take steps to protect yourself:

How to avoid STD infection:

Don't have sex. The best way to prevent STDs is to not have vaginal, oral, or anal sex.
Be faithful. Have sex with one partner who has been tested for STDs and is not infected. Be faithful to each other, meaning that you only have sex with each other and no one else.

How to reduce your risk for STD infection:

Use condoms. Protect yourself with a condom EVERY time you have vaginal, anal, or oral sex.

Have regular pelvic exams too. Talk with your doctor about how often you need them. Many tests for STDs can be done during an exam. Ask your doctor to test you for STDs. The sooner an STD is found, the easier it is to treat.

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