
Baby Boomers Getting Older But Not Giving Up on Sex
This essay from Dr. Pepper Schwartz, featured in ASHA’s book Creating a Sexually Healthy Nation, gives the scoop on Baby Boomers and navigating the sexual landscape as they age.

Female sexual difficulties are more common than you think and impact couples inside and outside the bedroom. When sex isn’t easy how do you even begin this conversation with your partner or, for that matter, your healthcare provider? Sociologist, sexologist and relationship expert Dr. Pepper Schwartz joins our Sex+Health podcast for a three-part discussion on the range of female sexual difficulties and offers practical advice and resources for women (and their partners). You’re not alone!

This essay from Dr. Pepper Schwartz, featured in ASHA’s book Creating a Sexually Healthy Nation, gives the scoop on Baby Boomers and navigating the sexual landscape as they age.

STIs aren’t about age, they’re about sexual behavior. Older people are having sex, and they need to be thinking about sexually transmitted infections.

In this essay, certified sexuality counselor Evelyn Resh reflects on how our sex lives and perceptions of pleasure change over time.

Sometimes you want sex, sometimes you don’t. That’s normal. Every woman has her own level of what is considered “normal” based on their own experiences and biology.

Sex shouldn’t hurt…But sometimes it does. Between 10% and 20% of women in the U.S. experience persistent pain during sex—a condition referred to as dyspareunia.

For some women, reaching orgasm can be difficult. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to address the problem and have a more satisfying sex life.

When a woman becomes sexually aroused, her body will respond with physical and emotional changes. For some women, though, this arousal response doesn’t happen as expected. The desire may be there, but the body or the mind (or both) don’t respond.

If you struggle with incontinence and have concerns about leaking during sex, you’re not alone. The American Foundation for Urologic Disease reports that one in three women with stress incontinence avoids sex due to fears of leaking during intercourse or orgasm. But incontinence during sex
ASHA believes that all people have the right to the information and services that will help them to have optimum sexual health. We envision a time when stigma is no longer associated with sexual health and our nation is united in its belief that sexuality is a normal, healthy, and positive aspect of human life.
ABOUT
GET INVOLVED
ASHA WEBSITES
GET HELP
© 2026 American Sexual Health Association
We need to know if we can keep you company during this visit. We are useful for making this site work.
We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience. You can choose which cookies you want to accept.
Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
digiconsent | This website | Stores your cookie consent preferences. | 1 year |
wordpress_logged_in_* | WordPress | Identifies logged-in users and their authentication details. | 14 days / Session |
wordpress_sec_* | WordPress | Stores authentication details for secure areas. | 14 days / Session |
wp-settings-* | WordPress | Stores user interface customization preferences. | 1 year |
wp-settings-time-* | WordPress | Stores the time when wp-settings cookie was set. | 1 year |
Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. This helps us improve our website.
| Cookie | Provider | Purpose | Expiry |
|---|---|---|---|
_ga | Registers a unique ID to generate statistical data on website usage. | 2 years | |
_ga_* | Used by Google Analytics to store and count pageviews. | 2 years |
Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user.
Functional cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalization. They may be set by us or by third party providers.