According to an international, global study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors conducted by the University of Chicago research team, which interviewed people in 29 countries it was found that gender equality among older couples plays a vital role in their sex life. Older couples in Western countries who have no gender bias are satisfied with their sex lives.
This new study focuses mainly on sexual well-being, aging and health. On the other hand older people reported less satisfaction with the physical and emotional quality of their sex lives in countries where men have a dominant status over women. The study interviewed about 27,500 people between the ages of 40 and 80, questioning equal numbers of men and women. It was also found that majority of the people with partners remain sexually active throughout the second half of their lives.People reported the greatest sexual satisfaction in Austria, followed by the United States, Spain and Canada. At the far end of dissatisfaction were Japan and Taiwan. Countries such as Turkey, Egypt and Algeria were in the middle. The results of this study were published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior. Edward Laumann, the George Herbert Meade Distinguished Service Professor in Sociology at the University of Chicago said that among couples who show gender equality their sexual habits are more inclined towards both the partners interests. On the other hand male-centered cultures where sexual behavior is more oriented toward procreation tend to disregard the importance of sexual pleasure for women.
The participants were questioned about the physical and emotionally satisfaction of their relationships, the importance of sex, their overall happiness, physical and mental health circumstances, including sexual dysfunction, their attitudes toward sex, and their attitudes toward various social and demographic factors, including age, education, income and religious affiliation. The study included people from diverse religious traditions, including Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and other Asian religions, and atheists. The study found that subjective feelings of sexual well-being are strongly correlated with overall happiness for both men and women across the countries.
