INTRODUCTION

What were you taught about older-age sex?

Nothing?

I wasn’t taught anything about it either. Like most young people, I figured that at a certain age, I’d know it was time to let go of the sexual delights that dominated my thoughts and actions to that point and relax into being, I don’t know—old?

I’m seventy as I write this, and though my sexuality is no longer driven by hormones, it’s still a strong, solid part of who I am. It’s calmer, less urgent, less driven—but still joyful and an essential part of my vitality and my sense of myself. You may experience your sexuality differently—there isn’t one right way.

Part of embracing our sexuality across the lifespan means redefining what sex means at different stages of our lives. I celebrated my sexuality in my late fifties and early sixties with my beloved Robert, who was my lover and then my husband. I celebrate it now, widowed—as many of us are—with drawers full of sex toys and occasional lusty dates. Things change. We change. But with knowledge and creativity, sex can remain a part of who we are.

I’ve assembled the topics, concerns, and questions that readers of my books and blog told me they want addressed. I wrote The Ultimate Guide to Sex after Fifty to give you clear and reliable information, action tips, and helpful resources. Whether you have a vibrant sex life now or an unfulfilling one that you’d like to fix—or even if you’re just curious about what other people might be experiencing—this book will be a real resource for you now and through the years ahead.

The population over fifty is the largest in our history. We’re healthier, more aware, more active, and more vocal than any previous older generation. Thanks to ongoing medical discoveries, the Sexual Revolution, and the Internet, we are also sexier than past generations of seniors. We’re living and loving in aging bodies, and finally we’re talking out loud about it.

I wrote this book to affirm that yes, the generation that many called the Love Generation is still interested in getting it on. How we do it might look and feel different, but our sexuality is ageless if we want it to be. We are the generation that takes credit for discovering clitoral orgasms, vibrators, and Viagra, and there’s no stopping our thirst for knowledge and pleasure now.

This book is aimed primarily at readers over fifty, though I welcome younger readers, too. I’ve had younger people tell me, “I want to know what to expect,” and “I want to know what to do now to make sure I can enjoy sex for a very long time.”

We of the boomer-and-beyond generation want information about the sexual changes, questions, and concerns we’re experiencing. The Ultimate Guide to Sex after Fifty offers straightforward, nonjudgmental information and immediately useful tips, spiced with comments from my readers. I hope you’ll let me know how this book helps you by emailing me at joan@joanprice.com—I’d love to hear from you. Please also visit my blog, www.NakedAtOurAge.com, where we’ll keep talking about sex and aging.

Joan Price
Sebastopol, California