Absolutely, and sometimes even with greater satisfaction and lightheartedness than in the years of youth. There are several reasons for this: at an older age they establish closer and deeper ties with their partners, less looming worries, no risk of pregnancy and also more availability of free time, but above all they have achieved over the years more experience of sexual life and know its various aspects and secrets.
For both men and women, love life finds obstacles to overcome around the age of 50, when the hormonal situation of estrogen and androgen changes.
The change for women is menopause and disorders caused by changed hormonal yeasts, such as vaginal dryness, or due to a different psychological condition.
For men, it is represented by the onset of more or less recurrent erectile disorders, which can in many cases become full-blown erectile dysfunction, with concomitant decrease in hormone levels of testosterone and estrogen.
This is compounded by changes in blood circulation in the brain as well, which can bring other ways of behaving and living, then giving rise to various sexual issues.
Women tend to have difficulty reaching orgasm, lack enough desire, and suffer from vaginal dryness.
Age also affects the female sex organs by shrinking or lubricating them insufficiently for the needs of sexual intercourse , which can be painful and undesirable because of these inconveniences. In aid of these problems, gel-based lubricants and hormone creams are proposed to be applied before intercourse.
For men, erections, when they are there, do not remain so as they once were, resulting in poor penile hardening and a sense of discouragement to continue.
But there is remedy by resorting, of course on the doctor’s advice, to one of the many medications that prevent erectile dysfunction, but paying attention to possible side effects and interactions with medications you take daily, such as nitrates.
Diabetes and heart disease can cause problems and disorders that can impair or limit sexual activity, for both men and women, due to altered vascular and circulatory conditions affecting the entire body and also the genital system. Other medical conditions that can affect sex life include weight gain, arthritis, chronic pain, bladder control problems, dementia, hypertension, cholesterol, side effects from medications, depression, and stroke.
It is often not easy for both patients and physicians to talk about problems in the sexual sphere, mistakenly believing that only young couples are eligible, but awareness of one’s right to good health and fitness, even as an elderly person, must be taken.
So talking to your doctor about it, asking direct questions about sexual issues, about medications that help the relationship, is a good practice.
And if your family doctor is not helpful, you can consult a sex therapist or other qualified counselor who can recommend ways to meet your couple’s needs.
Even in the “third age” Common sense and a creative spirit function as stimuli for enjoying sex. Trying to facilitate the conditions for some sexual activity to continue allows the couple to relive moments of joy and revitalize their relationship, even when a disturbing pathology is present.
Safe sex is still important
Sexually transmitted diseases are a risk for both women and men, who do not make distiptions based on age. If you are sexually active you need to have safe sex to guard against diseases such as chlamydia, herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea, syphilis, hepatitis b , and others such as HIV and AIDS.
The excitement of flirting or dating are emotions that one should not give up, even as an elderly person, taking into account the need to stay healthy with better health, more useful medicines, and with lots of social contacts to feel centered and not isolated, communicating in one’s group and with one’s partner.
