Men in 50s More Satisfied with Sex Lives than Most
Younger Men
Satisfaction falls fast for senior citizens; 20-year-olds
most satisfied
Feb. 20, 2006 - Men in their fifties are more
satisfied with their sex lives than men in their thirties and forties,
recording levels that are only topped – barely – by the 20-29 year-olds.
But, after age 59 sexual satisfaction takes a plunge, according to a
survey published in the February issue of BJU International, official
journal of the British Association of Urological Surgeons.
A team of experts from Norway and the U.S. surveyed
1,185 men aged between 20 and 79, asking them about various aspects of
their sex life, including drive, erections and ejaculation.
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They found that although there was a strong
relationship between a man's advancing age and his declining sex drive
and ability to have an erection and ejaculate, there wasn't such a
strong link between age and overall sexual satisfaction.
The men who responded to the Norwegian postal
questionnaire were asked to rate their satisfaction with various aspects
of their sex life on a scale of zero to four, with four representing
good sexual function and no problems.
Men in their twenties recorded an average overall
satisfaction level of 2.79 and the second highest level was among fifty-somethings
who recorded an average of 2.77. Men in their 30s only reached 2.55 and
men in their forties averaged 2.72.
After the age of 59, as men move into the "senior
citizen" bracket, overall satisfaction fell significantly. It was down
to 2.46 for men in their sixties and 2.14 for men in their seventies.
However when it came to sexual function, each of
the scores moved steadily downwards toward zero as the respondents got
older, indicating lower levels of function and more problems:
● The average score for sexual drive was 2.19 out
of four, ranging from 2.79 for men in the twenties to 1.54 for elderly
men in their seventies.
● Satisfaction with erections averaged 2.83,
dropping sharply once men reached their fifties. Men in their twenties
scored 3.63, men in their fifties 3.03 and men in their seventies 1.60.
● Ejaculation averaged 3.28 and showed a more
measured decline with age, falling more sharply for men in their sixties
and seventies. Men in their twenties averaged 3.85 while men in their
seventies averaged 2.32.
Other findings included:
● 86 per cent of the men surveyed were married or
in a sexual relationship and 57 per cent had been sexually active in the
last 30 days. Six per cent had had a new sexual partner in the last six
months.
● 25 per cent were on medication for high blood
pressure, five per cent for diabetes, six per cent for
anxiety/depression and five per cent for erectile dysfunction.
● Respondents were representative of the
Norwegian male population in terms of marital status and education
level.
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"The survey was carried out using a questionnaire
first developed and tested in American in 1995" says co-author Professor
Sophie D Fossa from the Rikshospitalet-Radiumhospitalet Trust in Oslo,
who carried out the research with colleagues from the University of
Oslo, the University of Bergen and Harvard Medical School in the USA.
"The results showed a very strong correlation
between men getting older and reduced sexual functioning, but not
between age and sexual satisfaction" she points out.
"Age accounted for a 22 per cent variance in sexual
drive, a 33 per cent variance in erection issues and a 23 per cent
variance in ejaculation issues.
"But age only accounted for a variance of three per
cent in overall satisfaction.
"Our results show that although men experience more
problems and less sexual function as they get older, it doesn't
necessarily follow that they are less satisfied with their sex lives as
a result."
About the source
Assessment of male sexual function by the Brief Sexual Function
Inventory. Mykletun, Dahl, O'Leary and Fossa. Norway / USA. BJU
International. Volume 97, pages 316 to 323. (February 2006).
Established in 1929, BJU International is published
12 times a year by Blackwell Publishing and edited by Professor John
Fitzpatrick from University College Dublin, Ireland. It provides its
international readership with invaluable practical information on all
aspects of urology, including original and investigative articles and
illustrated surgery.
www.bjui.org
