Sexual Behavior in Middle Life

Data on sexual behavior were gathered on 261 white men and 241 white women aged 45 to 69. Dramatic differences between men and women of like age were observed in regard to virtually all indicators of sexual behavior, with the men generally reporting greater interest and activity than the women. While there was an overall pattern of declining interest and activity with advancing age, it was also clear that sex still continued to play an important role in the lives of the vast majority of the subjects studied.