Older people who perceive their aging positively lead more fulfilling sex lives. This was revealed by a study conducted by specialists at the University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. Positive perceptions benefit a person’s health as well as their intimate relationship with a partner. Negative emotions and attitudes about a person’s age could significantly impair their quality of life. They could significantly increase the risk of cognitive decline, the occurrence of cardiovascular disorders, as well as reduce the survival of the particular person. Because of the known influence of positive perceptions of aging on these life factors, experts are examining their relationship with people’s sex lives. More than 1,100 couples of adults over the age of 50 who are married or cohabiting were included in the study. Among the participants are heterosexual and homosexual couples. All of them fill out a questionnaire through which specialists collect information about their social and sexual life. Participants answer specific questions to which there are four possible answers. They should strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with statements such as “with age comes physical decline.” After receiving the corresponding answers, they are compared to a certain scale, according to which the higher the score, the more positive the particular person feels about aging. These responses were compared with those obtained when answering questions that related to the frequency of each person’s sex life and satisfaction. As a result of the comparisons, the researchers found that positive perceptions of age were associated with a more fulfilling sex life. Therefore, people who do not have a problem with their aging and aging are more satisfied with their partners. According to experts, it is possible that if people expect a sharp physical decline as an inevitable part of aging, they have preconceived notions. For this reason, these people often stop having fun at some point and could have less satisfying sexual interactions with their partner. The researchers aim to explore how negative perceptions of aging are formed and how these views affect our well-being. Information about the study was published in the journal The Gerontologist. References: https://academic.oup.com/gerontologist/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/geront/gnac099/6678474?redirectedFrom=fulltext