New strategies and approaches are needed to address the sexual health needs of middle-aged heterosexuals starting new relationships, research published in Sexually Transmitted Infections suggests. The UK study involved men and women aged between 40 and 59 years with, or considering, new sexual partners after the break-up of a long-term relationship. In-depth interviews showed that beliefs about sexual risk were frequently based on past rather than current circumstances and that individuals often felt that existing sexual health services were geared towards the needs of younger people. They suggest: "Interventions might also address age-specific constraints on risk perceptions by equipping midlife adults with skills to negotiate condom use and mutual STI testing with new partners. Half of heterosexual men with a new HIV diagnosis were over the age of 45, while half of women were over

Securing a healthy sexual relationship during middle-agedness would cause new needs and expectations in women, considering the special changes of this period. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the sexual needs of middle-aged women. The present study was a qualitative study with content analysis approach. Participants were 15 middle-aged women; their expectations and needs about sexual relationship were gathered using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman inductive content analysis.

Great sex is not just for young people. Learn how older people can manage flagging hormones and other common issues. For many people, hormonal changes, chronic health conditions and medications, stress, fatigue, and midlife weight gain can thwart efforts to have healthy intimate relationships. Many older adults report that, while they consider sex an important part of life, they are not happy with their current sex lives. It affects the quality of our relationships and how we feel about ourselves.

If you are drinking your morning coffee while reading this, then perhaps this article should come with a warning. There are going to be phrases that we tend not to discuss much in public such as vaginal dryness, loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. However, they are a natural part of life, and if we want to continue to be active sexual people well into middle age and beyond, then we have to acknowledge and then address them, because turning the trials and tribulations of middle-age sex into the joy of sex is not difficult. Sex is important to all of us, regardless of age.