Most coupled-up women over 50 are unsatisfied in the bedroom and some are resorting to extreme methods to compensate, a survey has suggested.
The poll found that 69 per cent of older women aren’t happy with their sex lives, with one in 20 women so starved of intimacy they have considered paying for sex.
An additional 11 per cent debate having an affair to boost their love life.
The poll suggested that male difficulties with erectile dysfunction could be driving these bedroom busts.
Of the men surveyed in the poll, almost half (44 per cent), admitted they avoid sex with their partner because of erection problems.
However stress was another common reason for dodging intimacy, as well as back pain.
Just under one in five men said they had previously faked an illness to get out of love making.
Lorraine Grover, a psychosexual therapist, said the results were sadly unsurprising.
The poll found one in 20 women were so starved of intimacy they were even considering paying for sex
‘These findings highlight how intimacy can quietly fade in long-term relationships as couples reach midlife and beyond,’ she said.
‘Many assume desire naturally declines with age, but emotional closeness and sexual satisfaction remain crucial for a healthy relationship well into later life.
‘When those disappear, it can leave partners feeling isolated and, sometimes, desperate.’
However, she added that for men suffering from erectile dysfunction—sometimes called ‘ED’—there are a range of potential solutions.
‘It’s common for men in particular to feel deeply troubled by declining sexual function but too embarrassed to discuss it, even with their partner,’ he said.
‘Many still see ED as a personal failure rather than a treatable medical condition, which puts relationships at risk. Starting the conversation is the first step to finding help.’
Professor David Ralph, a consultant urologist at University College London Hospitals, said fortunately there are now a range of effective treatments.
‘There are more treatment options than ever for managing ED—not just oral medications but also medical devices which offer a more permanent fix and according to clinical data, helping 85 percent of men within a month,’ he said.
While problems maintain an erection can be due to mental health issues, it can also be a potential sign of serious, and potentially deadly, health problems.
These include issues like high blood pressure or high cholesterol, diabetes as well hormone imbalances and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
Impotency is thought to effect about half of men over 40.
While most cases are isolated and nothing to worry about, repeated or sustained episodes of erectile dysfunction should be checked out by a GP.
The new poll, of 2,000 people over 50 in committed relationships by impotency tech company Vertica Labs, also revealed it wasn’t just women facing an unsatisfactory sex life.
Almost half of married men surveyed, 46 per cent, also described the intimacy acts in their relationships as either ‘non-existent’ or ‘under par’.
While dissatisfaction in the bedroom can put a relationship in peril numerous studies suggest a lack of sex and intimacy can also be bad for your health.
Researchers at Asda Online Doctor said that worries about body image and sexual performance are at the heart of bedroom anxieties
Regular sex and intimacy have been linked to several health benefits, including improving the condition of your heart, reducing stress and even boosting mental health.
The new research follows a separate poll of 2,000 adults by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists which found men and women typically have sex 46 times a year—once every eight days.
But some have far less frequent amorous activity, with a tenth reported having sex less than once a year.
Earlier this month, researchers at the University of Manchester, also revealed women who have sex at least once a week are the happiest in their relationships.
Their study showed that 85 per cent of women who had sex once a week described themselves as ‘sexually satisfied’.
Separate research, published last year, also suggested its not just the over 50s with a lust for life.
A survey found 53 per cent of over 75s wanted to remain sexually active as they aged.
