Women's healthSexual healthHealthy aging

How to have healthy, satisfying sex at any age

Expert tips for every decade of a woman’s life.


LearnWomen's healthVaginal and reproductive healthHow to have healthy, satisfying sex at any age
Set the right mood in your twenties
Plan ahead in your early thirties
Feel extra confident in your late thirties to forties
Stay pain-free in your fifties
Stay fit in your sixties
Practice safer sex in your seventies
Staying sexually active in your eighties and beyond

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Satisfying sex can—and should—happen as you get older.

“A woman's best sex truly can happen at any time,” says Melissa Hague, MD, an OBGYN in Wichita, Kansas. “That applies as long as she feels confident in the person she is, is secure with her partner, and she’s comfortable physically.”

Whatever stage of life you’re in, here are expert-approved tips for having healthy, satisfying sex.

Sources: Cleveland Clinic. Sexual Dysfunction. Ma... + 23
  1. Cleveland Clinic. Sexual Dysfunction. May 29, 2024.
  2. Kinsey Institute. The Dual Control Model of Sexual Response. Accessed July 7, 2026.
  3. Bancroft J, Graham CA, et al. The dual control model: current status and future directions. J Sex Res. 2009;46(2-3):121-142.
  4. Jennings KJ, de Lecea L. Neural and Hormonal Control of Sexual Behavior. Endocrinology. 2020 Oct 1;161(10):bqaa150.
  5. Fleming, John. Gallup Analysis: Millennials, Marriage and Family. May 19, 2016.
  6. Carlson K, Mughal S, et al. Perinatal Depression. 2025 Jan 22. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan–.
  7. Kontula O, Miettinen A. Determinants of female sexual orgasms. Socioaffect Neurosci Psychol. 2016;6:31624.
  8. Mayo Clinic. Menopause. August 7, 2024.
  9. The Menopause Society. Sexual Health. Accessed July 7, 2026.
  10. Mayo Clinic. Why is sex after menopause sometimes more painful? December 17, 2018.
  11. National Institute on Aging. How To Talk With Your Doctor About Sensitive Issues. February 3, 2020.
  12. Goldsen Institute. Aging with Pride. Accessed July 7, 2026.
  13. Steckenrider J. Sexual activity of older adults: let's talk about it. Lancet Healthy Longev. 2023 Mar;4(3):e96-e97.
  14. University of Manchester. Love and intimacy in later life: study reveals active sex lives of over-70s. January 28, 2015.
  15. Lee DM, Nazroo J, et al. Sexual Health and Well-being Among Older Men and Women in England: Findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Arch Sex Behav. 2016;45(1):133-144.
  16. Syme ML, Cohn TJ. Examining aging sexual stigma attitudes among adults by gender, age, and generational status. Aging Ment Health. 2016;20(1):36-45.
  17. CIDRAP. STD cases rose 5% from 2020 to 2023, with biggest jumps among older adults, data show. July 9, 2024.
  18. American Medical Association. With STIs on rise among older adults, here’s what doctors can do. January 6, 2025.
  19. Stentagg M, Skär L, et al. Cross-Sectional Study of Sexual Activity and Satisfaction Among Older Adult's ≥60 Years of Age. Sex Med. 2021 Apr;9(2):100316.
  20. National Institute on Aging. Sexuality and Intimacy in Older Adults. April 18, 2022.
  21. Bhatia R, Hirsch C, et al. Social networks, social support, and life expectancy in older adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2023 Aug;111:104981.
  22. Mayo Clinic Health System. Helping people, changing lives: 3 health benefits of volunteering. August 1, 2023.
  23. Sneed RS, Cohen S. A prospective study of volunteerism and hypertension risk in older adults. Psychol Aging. 2013 Jun;28(2):578-86.
  24. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Female Sexual Dysfunction. July 2019.
Written by Rose Hayes, MA, RN.
Medically reviewed by Joanne Perron, MD, MPH.March, 2026
Updated onAugust, 2026
Written by Rose Hayes, MA, RN.
Medically reviewed by Joanne Perron, MD, MPH.March, 2026
Updated onAugust, 2026
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