Sex is More Adventurous – And Less Safe – At 40

The best sex of your life actually happens at 40, at least according to a recent study on Canadian sexual health.

In the study, leading condom company Trojan partnered with Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN) surveyed 2,400 Canadians between ages 40 to 59 about their sexual behaviors, health and attitudes.

As it turned out, their sexual appetite does not decrease as they age. In fact, 65 percent of the surveyed middle-aged Canadians said they were very satisfied with their last sexual encounter, and majority of the respondents said that their current primary relationship is emotionally satisfying.

The study also found that 63 percent have become more sexually adventurous, as they are now more open to trying new things to enhance sexual pleasure.

"There is public perception that as we age, sex becomes less important, less enjoyable and less frequent," Dr. Robin Milhausen, sexuality and relationship researcher at the University of Guelph, said in a news release.

"The study findings indicate that most midlife Canadians are indeed leading satisfying and active sexual lives... And married people are reporting sex as pleasurable as their single counterparts, in fact, married men reported more pleasurable at last sexual encounter than single men. So the future holds bright for midlife Canadian relationships," Milhausen added.

Also, 40 percent of the married or cohabiting respondents said that they have sex at least once a week.

Although most of the respondents are generally happy and satisfied with their sex lives, the study also revealed that sexually active midlife Canadians might not be having safe sex. About 65 percent of single men and 72 percent of single women said that they did not use a condom during their last sexual intercourse. But more than half of the men and 32 percent of the women had two or more partners the previous year.

The study concludes that this may be because younger adults are more likely to be using condoms to prevent pregnancy and have more knowledge about sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

"We have a lot of work to do to bring single midlife Canadians up to speed on the need for safer sex, particularly with respect to consistent condom use," Alex McKay, executive director of SIECCAN, said in a news release.