From the amount of older couples that I talk to every day in Babeland, I could have told any one that seniors still want sex. But, I'm glad the AP reported this study anyway, just to get some numbers down.

"The prevalence of sexual activity declines with age, yet a substantial number of men and women engage in vaginal intercourse, oral sex, and masturbation even in the eighth and ninth decades of life," the researchers wrote in their report, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

This is so great to hear, especially because this is a generation of people who grew up when talking about sex was extraordinarily taboo. No one told you what it was, how to do it, or even that it was great. Between misinformation, shame and religious beliefs, I'm happy to see that the numbers are still so high.This also makes me wonder how we are failing seniors as sex educators. Most sex ed tends to focus on young people. I'm all for teaching people when they're young so that they can take that knowledge with them through life. But, there is also an entire population of older people who've never had access to this information. From safer sex to sex toys, there are so many things to learn and if a 22 year old can feel overwhelmed, I can't imagine how it would feel to begin at 70.Places like Babeland have a lot to offer seniors. It starts with an overall attitude that sex is not something to be ashamed of. Then, there's lube for slicking things up, cock rings for firming things up and vibrators to accomplish what arthritic hands never could. I have to admit that if I discovered Babeland at 65 years old, it would seem like a treasure trove of answers.One question remains. How do we in the sex positive community draw seniors to us and offer classes and resources that meet their needs? Seniors and sex educators, speak up!Update: Joan Price, author of Better Than I Ever Expected and blogger herself, wrote a great post about this on her blog appropriately named, Better Than I Ever Expected. Check it out.