February 2007
Good lovin’
We recently caught up with Pepper Schwartz, professor of sociology at the University of Washington and author of "Prime: Advice
and Adventures from a Sexologist on Life and Love in the Sensuous Years," to be published in May 2007 by HarperCollins.
Fifty and over are the “sensuous years”? Are you kidding?
It’s an important thing to preserve our sexual and romantic life after 50, not just because it’s a titillating idea, but because it gives us juice--it makes us feel happy, complete, and healthy. A number of studies show that a satisfying and frequent sex life promotes overall health. The hormone oxytocin, which enables orgasms in both men and women, promotes feelings of well-being, peace, and bonding. Some evidence suggests that men who have frequent ejaculations may have lower rates of prostate cancer. Sexual arousal, including masturbation, has been shown to modify chronic pain. So sexuality is good for your mental and physical health!
What can people do to keep their sex lives exciting?
People talk about how we’re consumed with sexuality in our culture, but I really think we spend more time on golf. We give sex the least prime time of our lives, late at night, with Jay Leno on TV. The book of sexuality is a big fat book, so stop reading the same page over and over. People get aroused by something new. Set out candles. Massage each other’s scalp. If you’re a woman, get into bed with nothing but pearls on. Check into a motel. Masters and Johnson were right: Use it or lose it. The single most predictive factor for having sex in your 80s is that you never stopped having it. But it’s also important to know you can restart your sex drive.
Is “safe sex” an issue for people newly back in the dating game?
Yes! Twenty-five to 40 years ago, AIDS, HPV, and herpes were not the problems they are now. A few years ago there was a furor when some older men and women in Miami Beach contracted AIDS through sexual contact. It is always appropriate to use condoms when having sex with someone whose health history and present behavior is not 100 percent known to you. Using condoms is easy once you get the hang of it. They make sex much safer, and breakage rates are very low.
This article first appeared in the February 2007 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
Fifty and over are the “sensuous years”? Are you kidding?
It’s an important thing to preserve our sexual and romantic life after 50, not just because it’s a titillating idea, but because it gives us juice--it makes us feel happy, complete, and healthy. A number of studies show that a satisfying and frequent sex life promotes overall health. The hormone oxytocin, which enables orgasms in both men and women, promotes feelings of well-being, peace, and bonding. Some evidence suggests that men who have frequent ejaculations may have lower rates of prostate cancer. Sexual arousal, including masturbation, has been shown to modify chronic pain. So sexuality is good for your mental and physical health!
What can people do to keep their sex lives exciting?
People talk about how we’re consumed with sexuality in our culture, but I really think we spend more time on golf. We give sex the least prime time of our lives, late at night, with Jay Leno on TV. The book of sexuality is a big fat book, so stop reading the same page over and over. People get aroused by something new. Set out candles. Massage each other’s scalp. If you’re a woman, get into bed with nothing but pearls on. Check into a motel. Masters and Johnson were right: Use it or lose it. The single most predictive factor for having sex in your 80s is that you never stopped having it. But it’s also important to know you can restart your sex drive.
Is “safe sex” an issue for people newly back in the dating game?
Yes! Twenty-five to 40 years ago, AIDS, HPV, and herpes were not the problems they are now. A few years ago there was a furor when some older men and women in Miami Beach contracted AIDS through sexual contact. It is always appropriate to use condoms when having sex with someone whose health history and present behavior is not 100 percent known to you. Using condoms is easy once you get the hang of it. They make sex much safer, and breakage rates are very low.
This article first appeared in the February 2007 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
