Woman are more sexually charged at 40--study
POSTED July 8, 2010 - 11:42 | POSTED BY Neharika Sabharwal
Last edited by Harpreet Bhagrath on July 8, 2010 - 12:05
As women approach middle-age, they display a heightened sex drive, indulging in fantasies and flings, initiating sexual escapades and seeking out new romantic partners compared to the younger women.
Experts theorize that an increase in their sexual activity is an instinctive reaction linked to their dwindling fertility. They are inhibited and engage in a variety of sexual activities in order to capitalize on their remaining childbearing years.
Lead author of the study, Professor David Buss from the University of Texas at Austin stated, “Results indicate that women with declining fertility have greater sexual motivations and increased sexual behaviors than women with relatively high fertility.
“These findings lend further support to the influence of the biological clock on women’s mating psychology to facilitate conception before the window of opportunity closes.”
Study to assess the role of age in women’s sexual interests
Researchers carried out a social experiment to understand the significance of age in women's sexual interests.
As a part of the study, they split the 827 women into three groups: those at their most fertile (between the ages of 19 and 26), those experiencing a decline in fertility (27 to 45), and those who had reached the menopause (46 and above).
All the participants were then questioned about their sexual attitudes and behavior.
Findings of the study
The investigators noted that women with low fertility became sexually adventurous.
Not only were they having sex more, they were inclined to fantasize about bedroom escapades with younger men.
In addition, they were more open to one-night stands and casual sex as opposed to women in the other two groups.
A plausible explanation
According to the researchers, a women’s libido picks up with a decline in her fertility levels because of a deep-rooted psychological and evolutionary mechanism.
Though conception becomes difficult after the age of 35, the basic instinct of a female will continue to motivate her to try for a baby until menopause.
Dr Pam Spurr, an expert in sex and behavior stated, "I often find it is women in their late thirties who seem to be having a lot of fun. There might be a subconscious level to this but also a conscious one – women are more informed about fertility levels falling after a certain age."
The findings have been published in the 'Personality And Individual Differences' journal.
