The amount of sex you should be having according to your age

You can tell how your sex life measures up to others, according to your age. Photo / 123RF

Whether the fire of passion is well and truly burning in your relationship, or you only manage intimacy, you've probably found yourself wondering if the regularity of your sex life is "normal".

Now you can find out, thanks to a study from the Kinsey Institute for research in Sex, Reproduction and Gender which has been recirculated, according to Medical Daily.

Researchers found that you can tell how your sex life measures up to others, according to your age, which is one of the main predictors for how often you get intimate with your partner.

It will probably be no surprise that younger people are having the most action with those aged 18 to 29 having sex an average of 112 times a year, or twice weekly.

Between the ages of 30 and 39, it drops to 86 times annually or 1.6 times a week.
And sexual activity tails off even further for 40 to 49-year-olds have half the amount of sex of their 20-something counterparts, making love 69 times a year.

"The basic storyline that has emerged from these studies is that, as we get older, our odds of developing chronic health conditions increases and this, in turn, negatively impacts the frequency and quality of sexual activity," Dr. Justin Lehmiller of the Kinsey Institute explained.

Surprisingly, the study did not go beyond those in their 50s and beyond, which appears to back up separate research which found that sexuality among older people is largely ignored.

Researchers from the University of Manchester analysed written comment from more than a thousand adults aged 50 to 90 to highlighted the obstacles some older couples face in maintaining and fulfilling their sexual lives.

Many were reporting signs of anxiety as doctors refused to address their drop in sexual desire or physical difficulties, they found.

Men were discovered to be more likely to discuss the impact of health conditions on their sexual activities.

Heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes are all causes of impotence among men.
But women had a higher chance of discussing health-related sexual difficulties in the context of a relationship.

Experts recommend practitioners should positively engage with issues of sexual function - regardless of age.

They believe proactively talking about their issues will help to improve both health and well-being in older patients.