Why Women Out Live Men....SEXUAL EFFECTS...In 2 Parts

Regular sex is healthy for older women, riskier for older men

 

Sexually active older men could be at a higher risk of suffering ill health effects -- but the same isn't necessarily true for older women.

That's according to new research, which suggests recurrent, satisfying sexual activity can protect older women from certain health problems, but poses cardiovascular risks for men.

Researchers from Michigan State University analyzed survey data from 2,204 people from the ages of 47 to 85 for the federally funded study.

Older women in the study who found sex to be pleasurable were less likely to develop hypertension than those who found sex less satisfying.

When it came to the men, cardiovascular risk was almost two times greater in older men having regular sex.

The study's author thinks this is because older men have a tougher time reaching climax for medical or emotional reasons.

Because of this, they tend to overexert themselves and create more stress on their cardiovascular system.

For the study, cardiovascular risk included hypertension and rapid heart rate.

"The body is not a thing," French feminist-existentialist Simone de Beauvoir wrote in The Second Sex, her treatise on the role of women in society. "It is a situation; it is our grasp on the world." Sixty-five years after Beauvoir penned these words, 40-something photographer Andi Schreiber turned her camera on herself to document how her body is changing as she ages and to capture an idea in line with Beauvoir's: How we experience the world is determined not only by our bodies as physical objects, but also by how we and others see our bodies — and, given the scrutiny placed on female bodies, this idea is especially meaningful for women.

As female bodies age, society views them as less and less desirable, less useful, less attractive; in fact, Schreiber says, people often stop looking at them at all. "Somewhere in my 40s," she shares with us, "I began to feel less noticed by others. My physical appearance changed, and there was also a shift in the way I thought about and carried myself." In her photo series "Pretty, Please," Schreiber explores these shifts, shying away from none of the physical aspects of aging: her ebbing menstrual flow, creases of fat, and crow's feet all take center stage. At the same time, she asserts her status — to herself and to the world — as a sexual, sensual, and middle-aged being. With her photos and the title "Pretty, Please," Schreiber seems both to ask herself for permission to feel sexy and to request that others see her as the same. Her work connotes insecurity, but not despair: You finish viewing the photos with the hope that the woman who took them will find joy in her body for as long as she lives in it — and that the rest of us will, too.

 

PARY II

 

Older women who have robust sex lives tend to have lower blood pressure and don’t suffer a single ill health effect from their pleasurable bedroom activities. Older men, on the other hand, well, that’s a different story.

A study out of Michigan State University found that men aged 57 to 85 who indulged in sexual activity once a week or more doubled their risk of heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular conditions compared with men who went without. It gets worse: The men who enjoyed sex the most were more likely to suffer heart conditions than those who were not so bothered.

The findings came from one of the first large-scale studies into the impact of sex on the health of older people. More than 2,200 people who enrolled in the U.S. National Social Life, Health and Aging project took part.

One reason for the disparity between the sexes, said Hui Liu, who led the study, is that older men may exhaust themselves in an effort to reach an orgasm, thus creating more “stress on their cardiovascular system” she said in a press release. The study was published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

Medicines designed to boost sexual function might also contribute to the damaging effects on men’s hearts, Liu added. “Although scientific evidence is still rare,” Liu said, “it is likely that such sexual medication or supplements have negative effects on older men’s cardiovascular health.”

While moderate amounts of sex may promote health among older men, having sex too frequently or too enjoyably may be a risk factor for cardiovascular problems, Liu said. 

For women, it was a different story. Female participants who found sex to be extremely pleasurable or satisfying had a lower risk of hypertension five years later than female participants who did not feel so.

Previous studies suggest that strong, deep and close relationships are an important source of social and emotional support, which may reduce stress and promote psychological well-being and, in turn, cardiovascular health.

“This may be more relevant to women than to men,” Liu said, “because men in all relationships, regardless of quality, are more likely to receive support from their partner than are women. However, only women in good quality relationships may acquire such benefits from their partner.”