<http://schema.org/articleBody>
" People in their 70s are having sex only slightly less than those in their 50s, a new study has revealed.  The national survey of sexual attitudes of older adult Americans found that most people aged from 57 to 85 think of sexuality as an important part of life.  Despite &amp;#039;bothersome&amp;#039; sexual problems many men and women remain sexually active well into their 70s and 80s.  Women were more likely than men to report a lack of interest in sex while more than half of men and a quarter of women, whether they had a sexual partner or not, acknowledged masturbating.  Among those who remained sexually active, nearly half reported at least one sexual problem including erectile dysfunction and lack of desire.  Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, the researchers behind the study argue the findings provide important information for health care providers.  In particular they have implications for health education programmes trying to prevent sexually transmitted diseases in older people; sexual activity among older adults poses risks for new cases of HIV as approximately 15 per cent of newly-diagnosed HIV infections are among Americans over age 50.  &amp;#039;This study breaks new ground in social and behavioural research,&amp;#039; said Dr Richard Suzman, director of National Institutes of Health (NIA)&amp;#039;s Behavioural and Social Research Programme.  &amp;#039;Its portrait of this aspect of older Americans&amp;#039; lives suggests a previously uncharacterised vitality and interest in sexuality that carries well into advanced age, which perhaps has not been appreciated as an important part of late life.&amp;#039; \u00A9 Adfero Ltd "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/healthy-living/news/a15636/over-70s-still-sexually-active/>