Age-related patterns in sexual behaviors and attitudes among single U.S. Adults: An evolutionary approach.

Abstract

While a large body of research has sought to understand human longevity and caregiving (e.g., the grandmother hypothesis) from an evolutionary life history perspective, this same view has rarely been brought to bear on age-related changes in human sexuality. Moreover, much of the existing research on age-related patterns in human sexual behaviors and attitudes features samples of predominantly partnered individuals. Here, we test hypotheses concerning age-and sex-related differences in measures of sexuality among 1,522 single adults 21 years of age and older from throughout the United States. Consistent with expectations, we document age-related decreases in sexual behavior, ideal frequency of sexual behavior, perceived changes in sexual desire, and openness to an array of sexual behaviors (e.g., having sex with multiple partners), although sexual satisfaction increased with age in women but not men. Also consistent with expectations, men reported more frequent sexual behavior, ideal frequency of sexual behavior, greater perceived change in sexual motivation, and more openness to various sexual behaviors (e.g., a one-night stand) compared to women. Conversely, women reported higher sexual satisfaction and were more open to getting married than men. Interaction effects were also observed, including between age and sex on sexual satisfaction, with older women reporting relatively higher sexual satisfaction than older men. We place these findings in the wider body of research on human sexuality, contrasting this evolutionary life history approach with prevailing descriptive or biomedical foci on age-related sexual dysfunction.

Sex, Energy, Well-Being and Low Testosterone: An Exploratory Survey of U.S. Men’s Experiences on Prescription Testosterone

“…Overall, these findings mirror the aging male literature which finds that older men with low T are most accurately diagnosed with the presence of three symptoms of sexual dysfunction (libido being one of them) and low testosterone blood levels [13,18,19]. Future studies can gauge self-report libido in PT patients aged over 60, who already may face altered sexual desire [69].…”

Age, sex, and other demographic trends in sexual behavior in the United States: Initial findings of the sexual behaviors, internet use, and psychological adjustment survey

“…The lower levels of anal sex among heterosexual participants may be explained by the stigma associated with anal sex, for example, beliefs that anal sex is immoral or "dirty," along with historical restrictions on activities such as sodomy and same-sex marriage [27,28]. We also replicated prior findings that the frequency of these sexual behaviors was highest in middle adulthood [12,29]. The associations between frequency of sex and age may be at least partially attributable to relationship status.…”

“…2. The prevalence and frequency of oral, vaginal, and anal sex in the past 12 months and past 30 days would exhibit a quadratic association with age, such that rates of sexual behavior would be highest in young (ages [25][26][27][28][29] and middle adulthood (ages 30-49), and lower in emerging (ages 18-24) and older adulthood (ages 50 and older) [12].…”

Cómo el sexo moldea la evolución del comportamiento: el caso de las preferencias en la reproducción humana

“…De igual manera, encontraron que los hombres dieron mayor prioridad a la categoría atractivo físico/salud, mientras que las mujeres orientaron sus preferencias a la categoría estatus/recursos. En el caso de las relaciones a corto plazo se advierte que las preferencias favorecen la resolución de retos reproductivos vinculados con la búsqueda de variedad y el número de parejas en los hombres, al preferir mujeres sexualmente accesibles (Gray et al, 2019); la preferencia femenina por hombres con un alto atractivo físico ayuda parcialmente a resolver el problema de compensar la inversión parental inicial de las mujeres en intercambio por recibir genes sobresalientes (Gangestad & Simpson, 2000).…”