Sex isn’t just a young man’s game.
Sexual desire is a driving force in many relationships and a fundamental part of being human — we know that it can vary greatly among individuals.
But what we once thought about male sexual desire and when it peaks has completely changed, thanks to new research.
A large-scale study published this month in the journal Scientific Reports examined data from over 67,000 people 18 to 89 years old.
The most surprising find was that men’s sexual desire didn’t actually peak in their teens or 20s, as previously thought.
Instead, researchers determined that men’s craving for sex hits its highest point in their late 30s and early 40s.
Researchers theorized that relationship dynamics “may play a more significant role than initially anticipated.” They noted that stable long-term relationships have been “associated with increased sexual activity and emotional intimacy.”
Another interesting discovery was that a person’s background can predict their arousal levels.
In addition to asking participants to rate their general level of sexual desire, researchers also collected information on their age, gender, sexual orientation, job and level of education.
“The findings showed that demographic factors alone — even without accounting for psychological or relational influences — explained 28% of the variance in sexual desire,” the researchers wrote in their study.
And while libido tends to decrease as we get older, researchers found it dropped off much more dramatically for women.
Having children, perhaps unsurprisingly, can affect our desire for action in the bedroom. It appears to impact men and women differently.
Women who had children had lower sexual desire, while men with large families reported high sex drives.
This is in large part due to the “hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy, breastfeeding or menopause, which can contribute to decreased libido,” OB-GYN Dr. Jessica Shepherd previously told The Post.
And who was the horniest of all?
Those who identify as bisexual or pansexual (an attraction to people regardless of their gender).
Sexual satisfaction is associated with better health, fewer physical symptoms and a greater quality of life, according to Shepherd.
Low sex drive can indicate a host of health problems, including issues with hormones, sleep, mood, vascular function and, of course, relationship quality.
In fact, a study in the journal PLOS One suggested that men with a low libido are almost twice as likely to suffer an early death.
And while a range of treatments promise boosted libidos, from electrical zaps to “nature’s Viagra,” the researchers behind the latest study hope more people understand that changes in desire are completely natural.
