A new study has mapped out a person’s sexual life expectancy, with an average man of 30 years able to look forward to a further 34.7 sexually active years and a woman 30.7 years.
The study examined data taken from a variety of surveys involving over 3,000 people. In one, 84% of men aged between 57 and 64 had been sexually active during the previous year, regardless of whether they were married or living with someone. 62% of women said that had been sexually active.
When older people were asked, those in the 75 to 85 age bracket, the number fell to 39% of men who said they had engaged in sexual activity, compared to 17% of women. 71% of the men who were sexually active said that they were having good sex, with again a lower number of women (51%) saying the same thing.
Almost 50% of those who took part in the survey said they felt they were in excellent health and those who were feeling well were twice as likely as those in poor health to be sexually active.
It was suggested that men stay sexually active for longer because they tend to marry younger women. It was also pointed out that women tend to outlive their partners, meaning that while men in their 70s and 80s may be with their partners women at the same age are more likely to be widows.