The New Hot Flash: Women 40+ Embrace Orgasm With Sextech
Groundbreaking study shows pleasure can be enhanced during menopausal years
Bodies change, but desires don’t necessarily wane with advancing years. In fact, sex can be more enjoyable than ever thanks to the current array of sextech goodies designed for a variety of bodies and desires.
According to a new study of older women, “Those who reported ‘always’ or ‘almost always’ using sextoys for masturbation were significantly more likely to report ‘always’ or ‘almost always’ experiencing orgasm during masturbation.”
Researchers at both the Kinsey Institute and the Department of Gender Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington “explored the prevalence of masturbation, experiences of orgasm, and sextoy use during masturbation, and reasons for engaging in self-stimulation” as they gathered data from a representative sample of 1,500 US women, aged 40-65 years.
The study was designed to focus on women in different stages of what used to be called the “change of life,” now known as pre-, peri-, and postmenopause.
According to a Medical Press article, women in this age group may masturbate less often than younger women, but they continue to enjoy orgasm with “the same frequency and quality as their younger peers.” They discovered a high incidence of orgasm during masturbation, 81% of the time.
Sexual pleasure can last a lifetime
According to the study, people masturbate for several reasons: “physical pleasure, release of sexual tension, general stress relief, help to fall and stay asleep, and unavailability of a partner.”
None of this is particularly surprising, but what is astonishing is that this newest study is one of very few assessing enjoyment of solo sex and orgasm in older women.
Not that there haven’t been previous collections of data. For example, 1,691 women were included in a 2022 study of 3,816 adults, aged 60-75 years old, living in Norway, Denmark, Belgium, and Portugal. The research explored a number of factors related to masturbation but did not focus on frequency and quality of orgasm.
The more studies we have the better, but it would be great to have data for people over the age of 75 too!
Age-appropriate sextoys—powerful and affordable
But even as studies provide important insights, pioneers like Joan Price, M.A., have long championed “senior sex” through books and workshops designed to help people get the most out of intimacy.
Sextech companies have taken note. For instance, Price has written senior sex articles for Hot Octopuss and has reviewed and vetted sextoys for other publications and websites. According to Price’s Cosmopolitan article “Ten sextoys to Fit Your Every Need,” the best toys for people with vulvas are:
…well-designed, well-made, powerful, comfortable, ergonomic (especially for arthritic wrists!), sized for our bodies, durable, reliable—and orgasmic! Keep in mind that a sextoy that looks almost the same at half the price isn’t always a good alternative. Cheap toys and knockoffs can break easily and are likely made of questionable, potentially harmful materials. This is especially important for older vulvas, because our genital tissues are thinner and unwanted chemicals can pass into our bloodstream. Invest in good quality and cross that off your worry list.
According to Women’s Health, sextoys and sex furniture can assist with some of the challenges of senior sex, such as vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, erectile challenges, changes in libido, diminished responses to stimulation, and arthritis and other physical limitations.
For people with vulvas and vaginas, helpful products include pillow mounts for hands-free use of vibrators and dildos, and air-pulse clitoral vibrators, especially those with good handles. Sextech products designed for people with a range of physical disabilities can also be a good choice.
Bots and toys—for some, the right combination
Of course, toys can also boost enjoyment during partner sex. All you need is an open-minded partner not threatened by toys and willing to experiment. For some, this role might also be filled by a companion bot.
Though it may be somewhat awkward to incorporate an erotic chatbot into a solo sex session—making it not so solo anymore—it can be done. Many chatbots now have voice capability, but sexting may still be your only option.
If so, a hands-free sextoy setup in real time could be the right choice for you, combined with asking the bot to create a sexual fantasy story or provide spicy selfies you can use for inspiration later. Keep in mind that companion bot companies create new features all the time, including ones that enhance erotic roleplay.
Be mindful of the environment
The companion bot market, like the sextech industry, changes quickly due to technological advancements that make many innovative features and sensations possible. However there are environmental consequences resulting from these industries and products. Our desires for novel technological pleasures may contribute to environmental tipping points in energy, water, and resource extraction.
Soon we will have to weigh the size and effects of their impact. Fortunately, consumers can now begin making careful choices, perhaps opting to purchase the most responsibly manufactured toys, voluntarily limiting their chatbot use, and/or subscribing to bots with servers that minimize their environmental impact, in order to reduce their sextech footprints. Companies will have to be taught to take their responsibilities more seriously.
Though it may seem like a buzz-kill, all of us have to share this perspective . After all, a sex-positive future for people in industrialized nations on a planet unable to recover from high-tech environmental degradation is not much of a future after all.
Don’t forget fingers, tongues, and body parts are, and will always be, a lot of fun. Just as you might opt for mass transit—forgoing the use of your car—don’t lose sight of the joys of low tech manual sex, no matter how old or young you are.
Image source: A.R. Marsh using Ideogram.ai.
