Silver sex after 65 - is there anything worse?

Of all the press releases that land on my desk during the day, the one I was shown by a colleague today has got rate as the rankest.

It was based on a study - the National Health and Sexuality Survey – and looked at the “sexual practices of senior citizens in Spain”.

Anyone with a sensitive stomach or nervous disposition, look away now.

The most common practices are kissing (ok, just about bearable in the over 60s), caresses and “vaginal penetration” - perish the thought.

The research is published in “one of the world’s biggest sexuality journals” - The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Researcher Domingo Palacios said: “This research lets us know the reality of a social phenomenon which is not tackled enough in Spain: sexuality and the elderly.”

Can such a cringeworthy subject ever warrant the label of “not tackled enough”? I would say it comes under the heading of “don’t touch with bargepole” - literally.

The results go on to say that the survey of 1,939 heterosexual elderly people showed 63 per cent of men and 37.4 per cent of women are sexually active.

I have to say there is a bit of a difference there, what are the girls doing while these old goats are out sowing their “nearly-gone-to” seed. 

Really, look away now if you are squeamish.

The least common practices are masturbation and oral sex, the mere thought these are practices at all at that age made me a little bit sick in my mouth.

There are other factors that limit sexual activity in both sexes, the report goes on to say.

“Being older than 75, not having a partner, having a low level of education, a poor perception of their own health and sexuality, suffering from two or more chronic illnesses and taking two or more types of medication.” - pass me the pills I say.

Among those older than 65 women are less sexually active than men.  

What more is there to say other than to leave you on that happy note.