In most cases, medical treatment can help. This is one of the illnesses that can cause ED in some men. Here, too, talking with a doctor, nurse, or social worker with training in dementia care may be helpful.ĭiabetes.
It can be confusing and difficult to know how to handle this situation. Those with severe dementia may not recognize their spouse or partner, but they still desire sexual contact and may seek it with someone else. Some people with dementia show increased interest in sex and physical closeness, but they may not be able to judge what is appropriate sexual behavior.
Always talk with your doctor if you have side effects from any medication.ĭementia. But, some pain medicines can interfere with sexual function. Chronic pain does not have to be part of growing older and can often be treated. Pain can interfere with intimacy between older people. Rest, warm baths, and changing the position or timing of sexual activity can be helpful.Ĭhronic pain. Exercise, drugs, and possibly joint replacement surgery may help relieve this pain. Joint pain due to arthritis can make sexual contact uncomfortable. Some illnesses, disabilities, medicines, and surgeries can affect your ability to have and enjoy sex.Īrthritis. Your doctor may have suggestions to help make sex easier. Talk with your partner about these changes and how you are feeling. ED is not a problem if it happens every now and then, but if it occurs often, talk with your doctor. The loss of erection after orgasm may happen more quickly, or it may take longer before another erection is possible. His erection may not be as firm or as large as it used to be. ED may cause a man to take longer to have an erection. ED is the loss of ability to have and keep an erection. If a woman is using hormone therapy to treat hot flashes or other menopausal symptoms, she may want to have sex more often than she did before hormone therapy.Īs men get older, impotence (also called erectile dysfunction, or ED) becomes more common. If vaginal dryness is an issue, using water-based lubricating jelly or lubricated condoms may be more comfortable. These changes could make certain types of sexual activity, such as vaginal penetration, painful or less desirable. Most women will have less vaginal lubrication, and it may take more time for the vagina to naturally lubricate itself.
Her vaginal walls can become thinner and a little stiffer. As a woman ages, her vagina can shorten and narrow.
These changes sometimes affect the ability to have and enjoy sex.Ī woman may notice changes in her vagina. Normal aging brings physical changes in both men and women. Here, we explore some of the common problems older adults may face with sex. Some adults may choose not to engage in sexual activity, and that's also normal. The expression of your sexuality could include many types of touch or stimulation. There are many different ways to have sex and be intimate-alone or with a partner. With aging, that may mean adapting sexual activity to accommodate physical, health, and other changes. For some, this includes the desire to continue an active, satisfying sex life. Many people want and need to be close to others as they grow older.