THE TIMES: Midlife sex — yes, yes, yes, you must do it!

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What I if am not in a relationship? Is ‘solo sex’ just as beneficial?
As people age, they are more likely to be without a partner, so the Elsa ageing study sensibly included masturbation as “sexual activity”. There is, however, a huge gender discrepancy. When David Lee at the University of Manchester used the 2012 Elsa findings to explore sexual health and wellbeing he found that in 50 to 59-year-olds, 54 per cent of men reported frequent masturbation compared with only 20 per cent of women. And in people over 80, 17 per cent of men reported frequent masturbation compared with only 7 per cent of women. It is not clear why older women are so reluctant to masturbate, but sexual function is a “use it or lose it” phenomenon, so masturbation is really important for women who are not having sex with a partner. It is not just libido that slackens if you avoid sex. Orgasm, by intercourse or masturbation, strengthens the muscles in the pelvic floor, which protects women against incontinence and all sorts of other indignities.