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Sexual frequency decline from midlife to later life
Amelia Karraker1, John Delamater, Christine R Schwartz
1Department of Sociology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53703, USA. akarrake@ssc.wisc.edu
Summary
Sexual frequency declines with age, influenced by marital status, physical health, and happiness. These factors impact men and women differently, highlighting varied life course experiences.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Sociology of Aging
- Human Sexuality
Background:
- Sexual frequency often declines with age.
- Understanding factors contributing to this decline is crucial for public health and well-being in later life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the decline in sexual frequency among American men and women aged 44–72.
- To analyze the roles of marital status, physical health, and happiness in this decline.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS) and the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP).
- Decomposed sexual frequency decline by examining changes in population composition and the association between key factors and sexual frequency over time.
Main Results:
- For women, widowhood and changes in the happiness-sexuality association significantly influenced sexual frequency decline.
- For men, poorer physical health and decreased association between health and frequency were key factors. Changes in the happiness-sexuality association also played a role.
- Reverse causality may explain the observed happiness-sexuality associations for both genders.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals distinct gendered patterns in the sexual life course.
- Factors like marital status, physical health, and happiness contribute to age-related sexual frequency changes differently for men and women.
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