Too Old for Sex?

[Stavros]

Petronella Wyatt, once linked to ex-Prime Minister Boris Johnson ('I will leave my wife for you, blah blah blah"), and a woman who admits to having had affairs with older men, recently penned an article for the Telegraph, this is the headline and the opening paragraph, the rest being tucked away behind a paywall:

"Viagra is turning the UK into a nation of dirty old men – it should be banned.
There are not many upsides to growing older, but surely the freedom from 80-something sex addicts on pills is one of them.

Of all the pills in all the world, Viagra is proving to be one of the most pernicious. It may have started as a benign miracle cure for the less enterprising in amours, but, according to new statistics, it is making Britain a country for dirty old men. A record number of males over the age of 70 are popping the little blue pills, as often as they take their statins and felodipine. "
Viagra is turning the UK into a nation of dirty of old men – it should be banned (telegraph.co.uk)

Wyatt has also penned an article in which she explains why the marriage between Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones has hit, well, the Buffers -he is now too old, and she too young for them to couple.

First of all, Viagra and other ED medicines are not solely for the over-60s, as there are plenty of young men with ED of various forms, be it temporary or chronic. I had problems in my youth with ED at some times, for reasons I won't go into.

Second, and this is the key point, is there an age at which sexual behaviour should stop? Set aside those in relationships/marriages who maintain the sexual aspect of their lives into their 60s, 70s and 80s, and it does happen, is Wyatt revealing a phobia that makes it hard for people under the age of 60 to even imagine older people having sex?

She is a Conservative, and thus may suffer from inheriting crusty views about sex, though it doesn't seem to have had much impact on those ageing Tory MPs who seem to think anyone younger than them in the Palace of Westminster is, er, 'fair game' --?

But do people reading this wonder if they will still be sexually active when they are 70, and if Viagra is there to stiffen the sinews, is it not better to climax one's life with a climax, should it come to that?

I was told by someone who knew him, of a famous poet who died of a heart attack, according to the press, whereas he died of a heart attack while fingering a younger woman. He told the person I was with, when asked about sex at the age of 80, minus Viagra, 'Allora, I have a tongue and fingers on my hand'.

I just don't like that term, 'Dirty old man'. Sex should be about fun, pleasure, enjoying life, and is as healthy for a 75 as it is for a 25 year-old.

Comments welcome.

[rodinuk]

Second, and this is the key point, is there an age at which sexual behaviour should stop?

Nope…but there may be physical reasons which may make it more difficult or less rewarding for one partner. As you point out it may pose a greater degree of risk and people of that age would have to make decisions about the STI risk along with any other disease factors affecting them.

Socially speaking it’s the young who reject the idea of older people having sex not the older people…there was an advert recently playing on this theme

[Helvis2012]

I wouldn't worry. It's happening. The Jenni is out of the bottle.

[Stavros]

Nope…but there may be physical reasons which may make it more difficult or less rewarding for one partner. As you point out it may pose a greater degree of risk and people of that age would have to make decisions about the STI risk along with any other disease factors affecting them.

Socially speaking it’s the young who reject the idea of older people having sex not the older people…there was an advert recently playing on this theme

Must buy some Maltesers next time I am in town...