For Men, the Fire Still Burns: Study Shows that Even Up to Age 95, Sex Is Still a Big Part of the Picture

Results from a long-running study of men show one in three men ages 75 to 95 remain sexually active, defined as having had sex at least once over the past year.

Of the sexually active participants in a study of 2,783 Australian men, 57 percent reported a satisfactory sex life, and 43 percent said they want to have sex more often. Among those not sexually active, 40 percent said they were not interested. Almost half of all the men viewed sex as at least "somewhat important" in their lives, said the study, which followed the men from 1996 to 2009.

Study author Zoë Hyde of the University of Western Australia said that while the results are consistent with earlier research, they may not accurately represent all men, since only relatively healthy men participated. In addition, since the study was not anonymous, some participants may have been too modest to answer honestly, she said.

Nevertheless, some experts on aging say the results should garner attention. "People's sex lives do not stop just because they get old. They like to do the same things that younger people do," said Sharon Brangman, president of the American Geriatrics Society.

"The brain is the most powerful sexual organ we have, and if their brains are still wanting that, we should encourage it," said Sharon Reed, a geriatrician at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk.

Study participants with significant health problems were less likely to be sexually active, as were those whose partners were uninterested or no longer able to have sex. Men taking beta blockers or antidepressants, both of which lower the libido, tended to be less interested in sex. Hyde said that because many therapies can affect men's sex lives, doctors should address this with patients.

Higher testosterone levels were associated with increased odds of being sexually active, but the researchers cautioned that "the role of testosterone therapy remains uncertain."

The study, "Prevalence of Sexual Activity and Associated Factors in Men Aged 75 to 95 Years: A Cohort Study," was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine (2010;153(11):693-702).

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