Lack of Sexual Activity in Older Adults Linked to Health Problems

A study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior associated a lack of sexual activity and function among older adults with worse health outcomes, including cancer, coronary heart disease (CHD), and fair or poor self-rated health, reports News-Medical . The researchers analyzed data from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging recorded from 2013 and 2017, with male and female participants 50 and older residing in the United Kingdom. Generally, men who have less sexual activity if they are 50 and older may have a 66 percent higher risk of serious illness. Less sexually engaged women had a 64 percent higher risk of reporting ill health, but no apparent marked increase in the risk of serious illness. Men who grew less interested in sex were 63 percent more likely to receive a cancer diagnosis, and 41 percent more likely to develop chronic illness. Meanwhile, men who reported lessened sexual desire had a 33 percent greater chance of reporting a CHD diagnosis at baseline compared to those who had stable or increased sexual desire, as well as a 41 percent higher risk of incident limiting long-standing illness and 63 percent elevated risk of incident cancer. The frequency of sexual intercourse and activities also correlated with a decline in self-rated health for both men and women.