AARP Follows Up Recent Sex Survey With 2nd Report Focusing on Hispanics Age 45+

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Jun 02, 2010, 08:07 ET

New Data Reveals That Hispanics 45+ Are More Sexually Active Than General Public

WASHINGTON, June 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- According to a new AARP survey, Sex, Romance, and Relationships Among Hispanics Age 45 or Older: AARP Survey of Midlife and Older Adults, released today, Hispanics 45+ are more sexually active than their counterparts in the general population. The survey also showed that Hispanics believe that an active and healthy sex life is important in maintaining a successful relationship and that sexual satisfaction is higher among Hispanics 45+ who are married than those who are single. They're also less likely to think that there is too much emphasis on sex in today's culture.

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"Hispanics 45+ continue to be more sexually active than the rest of the 45+ population," says AARP's Love & Relationships Ambassador Dr. Pepper Schwartz. "For them, sex is a necessary component to living a happy and healthy life, and plays a critical role in relationships and overall quality of life."

Sex attitudes

The Hispanic 45+ population is more likely than the 45+ general population to believe that sexual activity is critical to a good relationship. They're also more likely to feel that sex is a duty to one's partner and for procreation. Finally, Hispanics 45+ are less likely to think that sex becomes less important with age (42% among Hispanics 45+ compared to 49% among the general 45+ population).

Single or married?

Generally among Hispanics 45+, sex plays a more critical role in relationships and quality of life among those who are married versus those who are single. Unlike the general 45+ population in which sexual satisfaction is higher among dating singles, sexual satisfaction is higher among married Hispanics than dating singles.

Nearly two-thirds (65%) of Hispanics who are married are extremely or somewhat satisfied with their sex life, which is much higher than those who are single (32%).
In the general 45+ population, 60% of single daters are satisfied with their sex lives while roughly only 52% of married couples hit that mark.

Men vs. women

There are a few different attitudes on sexual satisfaction and activity between Hispanic men and women 45 and older:

Fewer Hispanic women than men believe sexual activity is important to their overall quality of life (38% compared to 63%).
More Hispanic women than men think there's too much emphasis on sex in our culture today (69% compared to 49%).
Hispanic women tend to say they do not particularly enjoy sex more than men (19% compared to 5%).

Other interesting findings:

Hispanics 45+ are more likely to be satisfied with their sex life than the general 45+ population (especially Hispanic men).
Although satisfaction with their sex life has declined for the general 45+ population over the past five years, it has remained the same for the Hispanic population.
Hispanics 45+ tend to engage in sexual intercourse more frequently: four out of ten (39%) said they engage in sexual intercourse at least once a week compared to just fewer than three in ten adults 45+ (28%).
A satisfying sexual relationship is also significantly more important for Hispanics 45+ (83%) than for the general 45+ population (72%).
Hispanics 45+ who are healthy and physically active are generally more satisfied with their sex lives than those who are not (61% of those who said they are in "excellent" or "very good" health, compared to 35% of those with just fair or poor health).

Methodology

AARP commissioned Knowledge Networks in August 2009 to survey 1,670 adults ages 45 and older. The survey was administered in both English and Spanish, and included an over-sample of 500 Hispanics, for a total of 630 Hispanic respondents. This is the third survey that AARP has completed on this topic over the past 10 years, with earlier surveys in 1999 and 2004.

ABOUT AARP

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with over 35.1 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

SOURCE AARP