|
$ex in the golden years
|
 |
February 1, 2000: 10:36 a.m. ET
Dollars back up the desire for a healthy sex life during the later years
By Staff Writer Jeanne Sahadi
|
NEW YORK (CNNfn) - Sex toys, X-rated videos, erotic books. Not exactly what leap to mind when you think of Grandma.
But older Americans are spending millions to improve their sex lives, and as the generation of baby boomers starts graying, it's likely they'll be spending even more.
So if your motto has always been "I hope I die before I get old," think again.
Recent studies have found that sex is very much on the agenda of older Americans. The National Council on Aging reports that about half of Americans age 60 and over are sexually active. Four in 10 said they would like to have sex more often, and anecdotal evidence suggests that they are investing their time -- and money -- to do so.
But just how much they are spending to enhance their sex lives is not clear because many marketing firms and institutes targeting the senior population have not yet done economic research in this area.
Cooking up chemistry
However, sex educators and marketers, pharmaceutical research firms and others say today's older Americans are showing interest in drugs that alleviate sexual dysfunction, as well as sex videos and erotic toys, and even dating services.
Of course, Pfizer's marketing of Viagra in the past two years has shined the spotlight on senior sex. In 1999, people 55 and over spent about $395 million on Viagra, accounting for 64 percent of the drug's total sales for the year, according to pharmaceutical research firm Scott-Levin.
"Viagra brought everything out from under the table. It made it alright to talk about erectile dysfunction," said John Migliaccio, whose company Maturity Mark Services published 77 Truths About Marketing to the 50+ Consumer.
And, there's no doubt that pharmaceutical companies are hoping to replicate Pfizer's success with Viagra. As of October 1999, drug firms were developing nine new medications for sexual dysfunction in older Americans, according to the group Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.
From clinical to sensual
But medical chemistry isn't the only sex aid older people seek.
Sex therapists such as Shirley Zussman see many clients in their 50s, 60s and beyond, while the Sinclair Intimacy Institute has seen steady sales of its video "Sex Over 50." A majority of subscribers to the institute's newsletter Sex Over 40, meanwhile, are 55 or older.
"It's a very loyal customer base," said Mark Schoen, the institute's director of sex education.
But that's not all. Schoen said Sinclair's older customers are buying erotic videos and sex toys like the Eroscillator, a vibrator invented by the same person who came up with the electric toothbrush.
"The 30-year-olds and 70-year-olds are buying the same kinds of products," Schoen said.
The notion of "older is sexy" is also getting a lot of play in AARP's membership magazine Modern Maturity. It ran covers this fall featuring Cheryl Tiegs, Susan Sarandon and goddess-for-the-ages Sophia Loren. The issue with Sarandon, on "Great sex: What's age got to do with it?" was one of the most popular issues in terms of reader response and media coverage, magazine spokeswoman Muriel Cooper said.
Hello, Madison Avenue?
Not surprisingly, Madison Avenue has not really begun to tap into the senior market as much as it can, said Michael Reinemer, spokesman for the National Council on the Aging.
"Madison Avenue is filled with people talking to each other," Reinemer said. "As a society, we're ageist. We focus on youth. We tend to be disconnected from older people professionally and socially."
He nevertheless acknowledged that advertisements for Viagra broke new ground in reaching older audiences, who are far more reserved about discussing sexual concerns than are their children.
"Everyone's always been interested in sex. But it was never that publicly discussed," Zussman said.
Tapping the boomer market
The baby boomers, of course, changed all that. And they're likely to be a much more demanding -- and responsive -- audience for those selling sex-enhancing products, experts say.
"The Baby Boomers really had a unique experience with sexual freedom ... They've enjoyed a good sex life. Why would they want to give that up?" Zussman said.
They don't, judging from the response to services like ThirdAge.com, a lifestyle Web site for the first wave of boomers entering their 50s. The site has had great success with chat rooms and forums on romance and love, and traffic for its recently launched personals page has been growing by 200 percent a day, said spokeswoman Mindy Cebers.
Want good sex? You better look "maahhvelous"
So will retired boomers enjoy an even better sex life in old age than their parents? Very possibly. But for all that the sexual revolution accomplished, it failed to dispel the myth that sex is only for the young and beautiful.
"The desperation to look younger and younger is going to increase," Zussman said. "(Baby boomers) grew up thinking you're not supposed to get old."
That's good news for the hair colorists, plastic surgeons and personal trainers of the world. But if they're smart, the boomers might also adopt their parents' wiser, more soulful standards when it comes to looks in the later years.
In a sexuality survey conducted by AARP, roughly 60 percent of men and women aged 75 and older gave their partners the highest possible rating for physical attractiveness. 
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
