Love in old age Cuddling better than sex

Love in old age: Cuddling is more important for seniors than sex

06/01/2015

As people get older, people's priorities change. Even within couples, there is a shift: seniors, tenderness is becoming more important compared to sex. In women, this craving is even more pronounced than in men.

Tenderness becomes more important with age
The priorities that people set in life shift in old age - even within couples. According to researchers, tenderness in comparison to intercourse with older age in seniors is becoming increasingly important. According to a news agency dpa, Britta Müller of the University of Rostock reported that 91 percent of 74-year-old men and 81 percent of same-age women gave tenderness an important place in their partnerships. These were the findings of a team of scientists from the University of Rostock and the Queen Mary University of London, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, investigating married elderly men and women. The results were recently published in the journal „PlosOne“ released.

Sex plays a big role in seniors
In 61 percent of men and 21 percent of women sex played a significant role. In total, 194 senior citizens from Heidelberg, Leipzig and Rostock, aged 63, 67 and 74 years, were surveyed for the multi-year study in three survey waves. All of them lived in stable partnerships throughout the course of their studies. It is said that the study shows that in partnerships there is a lot of tenderness without sexuality. „By caressing, cuddling and cuddling, many aging couples seek to meet the growing need to assure one another of physical closeness“, explained Muller. Although sexual activity decreased with age as a result of hormonal and physical changes, participants showed stable sexual satisfaction throughout the period. As a possible background, it is assumed that mental adaptation processes in people in long-term partnerships succeed particularly well.

Sex in old age is affected by discomfort
Numerous causes can help to reduce the perception of sexuality in old age. In addition to a change in sexual desire may occur in women, for example, disturbances of arousal, which often occur after menopause. Male seniors often suffer from erectile dysfunction, which may be due to age or to illnesses such as diabetes or hypertension. In addition, pain during sexual intercourse, for example, due to a dry vagina or incontinence can affect the aging of age enormously.

Changed values
Seniors born between 1930 and 1932 took part in the study recently published. Since the relationship of people to their sexuality and the values ​​in society have changed dramatically in recent decades, it can be assumed that a similar investigation with today 60-year-olds to other results. As the medical sociologist explained, the expectations and demands on one's own body and those of the partner had changed. (Ad)

Picture: Lupo