9 Things No One Tells You About Sex After 70

There’s a lot of mystery surrounding sex in your 60s, 70s and beyond.

Look online and you’ll find countless threads where curious younger people ask if older people are having sex at all, and if they are having it, what it’s like. “What does it feel like?” others wonder. (Good, we imagine? It’s still sex!)

The mystery surrounding sex in older age stems from a combination of factors, according to Shannon Chavez, a licensed psychologist and sex therapist in Beverly Hills, California.

First, societal taboos and ageist attitudes have led to a marginalization of older adults’ sexuality. No one wants to imagine people their grandparents’ or parents’ age having sex, so we cast out those thoughts. What we get as a result are limited discussions and representations of sex in later life; think of how few scenes we see of older people getting it on in movies and TV, and how often post-50 sex and Viagra are the butt of the joke for late-night comedians.

We’re all going to get older eventually (hopefully, anyway) but because we’ve stigmatized post-50 sex so much, we’re ill-prepared for the realities of it, Chavez said.

“There’s a lack of comprehensive sex education tailored to older age groups, leaving many individuals uninformed about the changes and challenges they may face regarding sexuality as they age,” she told HuffPost.

“This all leads to misconceptions and curiosity about what sexual experiences are like in later life,” she said. “Overall, increased awareness, education, and open dialogue about sex and aging can help eliminate the mystery and promote healthier attitudes toward sexuality in older age groups.”

The heartening reality is that those who are AARP-aged are still having, enjoying and desiring sex, even when