Of even greater importance is one's personal life. Feeling valued, cared about and emotionally attached to someone becomes increasingly significant with the passage of time. My own clinical experience continues to emphasize those needs. Older couples do not hesitate to look for help to overcome sexual problems and often are more open and direct than persons years their junior. The inability to maintain satisfactory sexual functioning becomes a major source of distress for older couples in today's world.
Frequency is less important than the ability to perform in the accustomed way.
This problem occurs more often in men than in women during their later years. Erectile and ejaculatory difficulties add to depression which in turn intensifies these problems. Sometimes women attribute their partner's deficiency to their own diminishing sex appeal. This can result in a weakened relationship, an additional emotional barrier. The postmenopausal hormonal shift occurring in women has a potential for increasing rather than reducing sexual desire.