Sexual desire is the physical attraction towards another person or people that leads to erotic thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Physical attractiveness is an important factor for sexual desire, but it may also be affected by social, psychological, cultural, emotional, and cognitive factors such as attitudes toward sex, past experiences, belief systems, personal values, current mood state, relationship satisfaction, health status, and medication use.
Aging causes physiological changes that can affect sexual desire.
One factor contributing to sexual desire is the testosterone hormone, which decreases with age. Testosterone levels peak during puberty and then gradually decrease throughout adulthood, leading to lower libido. Other hormones, such as estrogen and progesterone, also play a role in female sexual response, including arousal and orgasm. As women age, their ovaries produce less estrogen and progesterone, resulting in vaginal dryness and reduced lubrication, lowered blood flow to genital tissues, and decreased elasticity of pelvic muscles, all of which can reduce sexual pleasure.
Menopause can cause hot flashes and night sweats, sleep disturbances, and mood changes that negatively impact sexual activity.
The brain's neurotransmitters regulate sexual desire through sensory information processing and reward-related responses. The brain synthesizes dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, which are associated with sexual arousal. Dopamine regulates motivation and pleasurable feelings while serotonin helps control mood and anxiety. Norepinephrine plays a role in arousal, attention, and focus. Changes in these neurotransmitter levels due to aging may result in decreased interest in sex, difficulty achieving or maintaining arousal, and inability to reach orgasm.
Physical factors affecting sexual function include vascular and endocrine changes. Vascular changes involve the blood vessels supplying genitals with nutrients and oxygen necessary for erections and clitoral engorgement. Endocrine changes affect hormonal balance, leading to decreased blood flow and testosterone production. These factors can lead to impaired erectile dysfunction (ED) and female sexual dysfunction (FSD).
ED medications like Viagra may improve blood flow and enable erection.
Relational intimacy involves emotional closeness, trust, open communication, and mutual respect between partners. Aging-related physiological changes may disrupt relational intimacy by altering attitudes toward sex, causing health problems such as depression or cognitive decline, impacting physical attractiveness, and changing relationship dynamics.
Older adults may feel less confident about their appearance, making them hesitant to be intimate.
Aging-related physiological changes significantly affect sexual desire, expression, and relational intimacy. Understanding these changes is important for maintaining a fulfilling sex life and promoting overall well-being.
How do aging-related physiological changes affect sexual desire, expression, and relational intimacy?
Aging is an intrinsic part of human life that brings about many biological, physiological, and social changes. The physical changes associated with aging are more evident than ever before due to increased awareness and accessibility of information about health and wellness. One of these changes is the decrease in the production of hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. This decreased production negatively impacts sexual drive, making it difficult for older adults to initiate and enjoy sex.