For many, the passage of time in a stable relationship is the beginning of the end of sexual life. However, a new study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior reveals that after 50 years of marriage couples experience an increase in sexual appetite.
The research, carried out by a team of experts from Baylor University, Louisiana State University and Florida State University (USA) analyzed the relationship of marital sexual characteristics of 1,656 married adults aged between 57 and 85 years of age.
Examination of the data revealed that remarried people had fewer sexual relationships than first married couples, but both agreed on emotional satisfaction and physical pleasure. In addition, they discovered a “U” -shaped graph regarding the frequency of sexual relations in marriage. This rebound happened when couples had been married for 50 years.
“This study adds to a small but growing body of research on the sexual behavior of older adults ,” says Jeremy Uecker, a co-author of the study.
These results are “intriguing,” the researchers explain, as this demographic has hardly been studied sexually. For the authors, the permanence in the relationship could contribute to this improvement in sexual life. “Each one is able to learn about their partner and build on that over time. You may have a higher level of confidence when you think your spouse is going nowhere. The expectation that the relationship will continue may give you more reason to invest in the relationship, including the sexual aspects of it, ”explains Samuel Stroope, co-author of the study.
It is clear that natural changes in the body as one ages (erectile dysfunction, arthritis, incontinence, medication …) can affect a couple’s sexual desire, but apparently, the “investment” in a relationship also pays off from the golden anniversary.
