UK Citizens Having Sex Earlier in Life, Remaining Active Well into 70s [VIDEO]

UK citizens are becoming sexually active earlier and remaining active well into their 70s, according to a new study outlining these and many other trends in the region.

Published in The Lancet, the report marks the third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles ever carried out and includes interviews with more than 15,000 people from 16-74 years old.

According to the results, 31 percent of men and 29 percent of women have sex before they are 16.

"Young people today have sex at an earlier age than previous generations did," Cath Mercer of the University of College London said in a statement. "However, as men and women are living longer, have healthier lives, and continue to have active sex lives well beyond their reproductive years, we need to view sexual health and well-being as an issue of lifelong importance."

The survey, which included people up to age 74, found that 42 percent of women and 60 percent of men 65-74 years old reported having at least one sexual partner of the opposite gender in the previous year, although a decrease in frequency and range was detected as individuals aged.

Despite starting earlier and continuing on later in life, overall frequency of sex has dropped over the past decade to an average of 4.9 times every month for men and 4.8 for women between 16-44 years old. This marks a notable decline from 6.2 and 6.3, respectively, reported in the previous survey issued a decade earlier.

Ninety-five percent of men and 96 percent of women reported having had least one opposite-sex partner, while women between 16-44 years old reported an average of 7.7 partners during their life -- more than double that of the previous decade. Men, meanwhile, saw an increase from 8.6 to 11.7.

According to the researchers, these as well as many other findings offer a blueprint for updating current coversations regarding sex.

"These changes now need to be reflected in research, clinical practice, and education," said Kaye Wellings, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. "We need to start thinking about sex differently -- sexual health is not merely the absence of disease, but the ability to have pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free from coercion. Improving the quality of peoples' sexual experiences and their relationships will not just improve the effectiveness of sexual health [programs], but is also something that is important in its own right."