Many women's lives so busy in middle-age they have little time or energy to enjoy a regular and satisfying sex life, new study shows
The demands and stresses of modern life are a more important factor than the menopause in the decline in the quality and frequency of sexual activity among middle-aged women, new research published in the Journal of Sex Research suggests.
Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), the University of Glasgow and UCL, looked at the factors influencing changes in sexual satisfaction, function, and frequency in women in middle-age and how women themselves explain the changes.
The study combined survey data from the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal-3) and in-depth interviews with women in middle-age. The survey revealed that out of over 2,000 women aged between 40 and 59, a third had not had sex in the past month but less than half this proportion were dissatisfied with their sex lives.
After taking account of a range of interrelated factors the survey showed that age and menopausal status were less important in determining levels of sexual satisfaction, function, and frequency than relationship and lifestyle factors and health status.
