by James R Coffey

Created on: December 16, 2010

As many of us are aware, “middle age” doesn’t mean what it used to.

There was a time not long ago when middle age meant reaching 35 or 40 years of age and feeling as though the best years of life had already come and gone. But attitudes have changed. People are taking more precautions to live longer, healthier lives and remaining active well into their latter years. In fact, for a growing number of people, reaching their 90th birthday is a reasonable expectation. In short, 60 is the new 40! So, what does this mean for the middle-aged and sex?

Okay, you’ve reached middle age. Your children are grown and probably on their own by now. You no longer worry as much about pregnancy (if at all) or having to use contraception, so a new dimension of spontaneity is possible for you and your partner. Your years have given you a sense of confidence and ease you didn’t have in younger days, you know what you enjoy and how to achieve it, and if you’re like most, you’re even willing to experiment into areas of sex you didn’t seem to have time for before. So, what else is there to know? Well, maybe what to expect from here on out.

Thanks to studies like the Kinsey Report, Hite Report, and those of Masters and Johnson and the Mayo Clinic, we now know decisively that despite what we were once lead to believe, women remain interested in sex long after they lose the ability to have children, and the majority of men actually experience an increase in libido in later life-not a decrease. Our sexual urges do not simply shut off just because we’ve reached a certain age!

We now understand that sex is much more than a biological urge to reproduce. In fact, most of us never lose the need for both emotional and physical intimacy. And while sexuality can certainly be expressed even through a simple caress, the underlying need for the fulfillment that can only be achieved through sexual intercourse is much stronger in middle age than we ever used to believe. But can the body deliver what the mind and libido desires?

Despite the best laid plans, physical limitations and health issues inevitably become a factor of sexual activity for middle-aged couples. You’ve cut out red meat and added more fruits and vegetables to your diet. You’re getting out and walking regularly. You’ve learned how to reduce stress and are taking supplements. But still, health issues arise.

Arthritis, heart disease, erectile dysfunction, diabetes,

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