Experts discover why couples in their 40s and 50s lose interest in sex
It’s not just about work, stress or looking down on the other person.
Relationship experts say that the decrease in excitement in the bedroom between those could be caused by hormonal changes that affect both partners at the same time. So, while the physical changes that trigger menopause in women can lead to a loss of sex drive, at the same time, men can also experience a drop in testosterone levels.
It takes conscious effort to maintain the relationship in the third age. Photo: Shutterstock
And now, scientists say the effects of midlife hormonal change can be “passed on” from one partner to the other, saying one partner’s loss of interest and anxiety can affect the other’s sex drive, and a cycle can start if both they are reluctant to seek treatment, meaning that symptoms shift from one to another.
The effects of hormonal change in middle-aged people can be “transmitted” from one partner to another, say scientists (Photo: Shutterstock)
The news comes as independent research found that women were more emotionally and financially damaged than men after divorce in adulthood, break-ups in relationships after the age of 50, a phenomenon that is on the rise in high-income countries.
Sex therapist Dr Emmanuele Jannini, from Tor Vergata University in Rome, said: ‘One partner’s sexual problems can, in turn, worsen the other’s sexual health. Addressing sexual health needs during midlife should aim not only to improve survival, but also to promote healthy aging.”
The study noted that an example of such transfer could be a woman not seeking help for pain during intercourse if her male partner does not treat his erectile dysfunction. The phenomenon can also be caused by external factors such as stress, depression and relationship fatigue, the researchers add.
And the researchers also pointed out that a menopausal woman in her 50s in a new relationship may be more sexually active than a 30-year-old woman married for 10 years. Dr Jannini said the newly discovered effect can be treated through couples therapy and should be approached as a period of “transition or regeneration”, promoting a healthy sex life and general well-being.
Menopause typically affects women between the ages of 45 and 55. It is caused by a drop in hormone levels and can cause symptoms such as anxiety, mood swings, hot flashes and mental confusion. Men can suffer from a drop in testosterone in midlife, known to some as ‘andropause’ or ‘manopause’, however the NHS says these labels are not very helpful as testosterone does not drop suddenly, but over time.
The study, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, comes after other research suggested that women have more problems both financially and emotionally than men after a divorce in adulthood.
Scientists from China’s Chongqing Medical University tracked the antidepressant use of 50- to 70-year-olds in Finland.
The study showed that while both sexes increased their use of antidepressants before and immediately after breakups, divorce or death, women’s use of these drugs was higher than men’s. It also found that women’s income fell by twice as much as men’s after a divorce, according to research by Legal & General Retail. Women saw their household income drop by 41% in the year following a divorce, compared to 21% for men.
Source: Mirror
2024-02-16 09:56:40
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