Lust for life? More than half of people over 75 say they plan to remain sexually active… and two-thirds of Gen Z say they will continue having sex into old age, new data shows

Older Brits don’t plan on letting their advancing years slow them down in the bedroom, a survey has found.

Overall, 53 percent of those over 75 said they wanted to remain sexually active as they got older, the survey found.

Those in the 66 to 74 age group had similar desires; 51 percent wanted to continue amorous activities as they got older. This rose to 62 percent among 55-65 year olds.

And instead of thinking it was a cringe-worthy topic, nearly two-thirds of Gen Z (61 percent) insisted they would still make love into their older years.

The findings are based on a survey of more than 1,000 adults of all ages by Home Instead, a health care provider.

Men wanted to remain sexually active as they got older: 74 percent wanted this, compared to 49 percent of women.

While sex was on the map, fewer respondents were interested in dating as they got older, with less than half of those over 55 saying they would be interested in looking for love if they were single.

The majority across all age groups, 60 percent, said staying sexually active would help their mental health as they get older.

Commenting on the findings, Martin Jones, CEO of Home Instead, claimed that the research as a whole shows that society needs to rethink what it expects from older people.

“Old people are getting younger,” he said. ‘By that I mean that the way people feel changes as they get older and they are increasingly interested in a lifestyle that is completely different from the traditional view of what old age means.

‘The image we may have of pensioners whose horizons have shrunk to just a bit of daytime TV and a cup of tea simply does not stand up to scrutiny.

‘Age is a biological reality, but also a social construction. People don’t have to be limited by it like they used to be.’

Stella Ralfini, a 77-year-old tantric sex expert, said the importance of a good sex life in old age cannot be underestimated.

“It’s one of the things that makes me feel young,” she said.

‘I like to see my loved one twice a week and we make love every two weeks, but if we go away for a week, probably a little longer, date nights aren’t just for young people.

“It’s still a wonderful feeling to know you’re desirable.”

However, she said there is a need for older Britons to be re-educated about what sex and intimacy can be.

“It’s about playfulness and other ways to have an orgasm that is pleasurable for both of them,” she said.

One activity that all couples should be able to enjoy is cuddling together naked in bed.

“You don’t have to do everything you might think, just the caressing and tenderness,” she said.

‘There are many ways to keep intimacy alive and intimacy is very important to keep elderly people ‘young’.’

And while Ralfini insists she is a fan of men, Ms. Ralfini said male lovers at their age require a special rethinking of sex.

“It would be great if men in their 60s could retrain,” she said.

‘Men are quite attached to what’s in their pants, but don’t understand enough about foreplay.

‘Older men taking Viagra doesn’t work for older women. The last thing she wants is to be harassed for hours.”

Sex and intimacy are known to improve our heart health, reduce stress, and improve mental health by relieving feelings of depression and anxiety.

The NHS and charities representing older Britons have long advocated that growing older does not mean giving up pleasure or intimacy.

However, older Brits can face barriers to this, whether it’s navigating the world of sex after the loss of a partner of many years, or seeking help for health problems that interrupt their sex life.

For men, this may include erectile dysfunction, and for women, they may experience possible changes associated with sexual desire after menopause, which occurs on average between the ages of 45 and 55.

Other problems, such as arthritis, are not gender specific but can drastically affect an older person’s ability to enjoy themselves in the bedroom.

Some older Brits may feel embarrassed about seeking medical help for sexual problems, especially if they are doing so for the first time in their lives.

However, they are urged to contact their GP if they have any concerns about their sexual health, and clinicians themselves are urged not to ignore this aspect of older people’s health.

While sexual wellbeing is seen as a boon to the health of older Brits, it is obviously not without risks which experts have warned older people may underestimate.

Official data shows that pensioners aged 65 and over saw the second highest rise in STDs last year, with the number of new cases rising by almost a fifth to 2,885.

Figures show that in 2023 there were 558 cases of gonorrhea in this age group An increase of 44 percent compared to the 387 logged in in 2019.

The number of chlamydia patients saw a similar increase last year by more than a third (39%) to 770.

Experts have previously blamed the rise of ‘silver swipers’ for the increase, with dating apps such as Tinder and Hinge said to allow older people to meet new sexual partners more easily than before.

Another problem believed to be behind the rise is the lack of awareness about the use of condoms to prevent the transmission of STDs. Some elderly people forgo them because they are not concerned about unplanned pregnancies.

Perspectives on sex were just one aspect of Home Instead’s ‘The New Aging Index’.

A total of 66 percent of respondents endorsed diet and exercise as a way to stay young, with 67 percent of the oldest respondents saying they believed medical advances would further extend lifespan in the near future.

In addition, 89 percent of older Britons, those over 75, want to remain physically active.