Anyone over 65 can relate to you in excruciating detail all their aches, pains, and health problems that come with aging. What they won’t admit is that their sex drive may have decreased a bit over the years. It’s not surprising that they wouldn’t want to admit that, but it’s a topic that should be addressed. There are many, many reasons this occurs. Male sexual problems over 65: what to know.
What You Already Know
If you are having sexual problems, you don’t need someone else to tell you about it. You already know you don’t have sexual intercourse as much as you did, say, in your thirties or forties, or even fifties. Things have changed. You may no longer have the physical energy to have sex. Your bum knee might be a problem (that’s a good excuse), or you may not have the desire. Shh! There it is, maybe that is the main reason sex is not a top priority for you.
Your desire has decreased.
What you don’t know is why, or you don’t want to admit why that could be.
Some Common Reasons Sex Takes a Back Seat Over 65
You have certainly heard of Low T. The medical term is late on-set hypogonadism, which is a decrease in sexual desire due to a lower level of the hormone testosterone.
Symptoms of low testosterone include:
- Decrease in sexual desire
- Decreased energy
- Decrease in facial hair
- Loss of muscle mass
- Loss of bone density
It has been found that 20% of men over 60 have low testosterone levels below normal, but it increases to 50% of men over 80. Testosterone levels decline with age.
Not coincidentally, certain medical conditions are linked to Low T. They include osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s Disease, diabetes, hypertension, cardiac problems, frailty, obesity, or even the medications for many diseases. The older we get, the more susceptible we become to medical issues.
Talk with your doctor about what could be affecting your testosterone levels. The remedy could be something as simple as a change in medications.
Some Facts to Know
You may wish you could have sex like you did back in the good old days, but you can still have a rewarding sex life even in your seventies and eighties.
Some recent polls of older adults aged 65 to 80 discovered the following:
- 40% were sexually active
- 66% were still interested in having sex
- 50% said sex was important for their overall quality of life
- 73% of those having sex were satisfied with their sex life
- 60% said they used more subtle kinds of intimacy and quality was more important than frequency
Those not satisfied with their sex life talked about health conditions, loss of desire, pain, fatigue, and worrying about how they look as some of the reasons they’re not having sex as often as they would like to.
Make a Plan to Boost Intimacy
Don’t give up! For every challenge, there is a solution. Look for answers. If arthritis makes it hard to get in the mood, try different positions and experiment. Work with your partner.
Depression can be a detriment to sex and many seniors can easily become depressed.
Talk with an experienced urologist about any of your sexual issues.
Focus on taking care of yourself. Eat healthy, get some exercise, don’t drink alcohol in excess, but do drink lots of water. Stay positive and get enough sleep.
Sexual health is just as important as other areas of your health. Sometimes even more so.
