Introduction to senior sex ( Last Part )

What can I do to have an active sex life as I age?

There are several things you can do on your own to keep an active sexual life. Remember that sex does not have to include intercourse.

* Make your partner a high priority.

* Pay attention to his or her needs and wants.

* Take time to understand the changes you both are facing.

* Try different positions and new times, like having sex in the morning when you both may have more energy.

* Don't hurry - you or your partner may need to spend more time touching to become fully aroused.

* Masturbation is a sexual activity that some older people, especially unmarried, widowed, or divorced people and those whose partners are ill or away, may find satisfying.

Some older people, especially women, may have trouble finding a partner with whom they can share any type of intimacy. Women live longer than men, so there are more of them. In 2000 women over age 65 outnumbered older men by 100 to 70. Doing activities that other seniors enjoy or going places where older people gather are ways to meet new people. Some ideas include mall walking, senior centers, adult education classes at a community college, or day trips sponsored by your city or county recreation department.

If you do seem to have a problem that affects your sex life, talk to your doctor. He or she can suggest a treatment depending on the type of problem and its cause. For example, the most common sexual difficulty of older women is dyspareunia, painful intercourse caused by poor vaginal lubrication. Your doctor or a pharmacist can suggest over-the-counter, water-based vaginal lubricants to use. Or, your doctor might suggest estrogen supplements or an estrogen vaginal insert.

If impotence is the problem, it can often be managed and perhaps even reversed. There are medications that can help, for example, sildenafil (Viagra). These medications should not be taken by men taking medicines containing nitrates, such as nitroglycerin. These medications have possible side effects. Other available treatments include vacuum devices, self-injection of a drug (either papaverine or prostaglandin E1), or penile implants.

There is a lot you can do to continue an active sex life. Follow a healthy lifestyle - exercise, eat good food, drink plenty of fluids like water or juices, don't smoke, and avoid alcohol. Try to reduce the stress in your life. See your doctor regularly. And keep a positive outlook on life.



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