As you age, your sex life changes, and so do your sexual health needs.
Teens and 20s: Learning and experimenting
Many teens and those in their 20s are finding themselves sexually, trying different things and deciding what they like and dislike.
Everyone wants to avoid sexually transmitted infections. STIs can really spoil the party, and they’re at their highest in this age group. Moreover, rates of STIs have been going up recently. Infections with syphilis and gonorrhea have risen for both women and men in the age range of 15 to 24.
Chlamydia has also been rising, and seven out of ten people with chlamydia are under 25. This disease does not have any symptoms, and when left untreated, it can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) and infertility. Fortunately, getting chlamydia testing kits in London is easy, so try to test yourself once a year using products like Chlamydia Testing kits in London available online at bexleysexualhealth.org.
30s: Parenthood
Many women are having children by their late 20s and 30s. A lack of energy for sex is often an issue, and birth control can also be a concern.
Some women who do not have children by this age wish to leave the possibility open, so it’s important to use a birth control method that can easily be stopped to conceive. The NHS has a list of the options at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/contraception/what-is-contraception/?
Testing yourself for sexual infections that could reduce fertility is still important, and the availability of chlamydia testing kits in London helps women check for an infection so it can be treated early.
40s
Until reaching menopause, pregnancy is always a possibility, so if you don’t want a late baby, it may be time to think about permanent or long-acting types of birth control. Many women feel they have more sexual freedom, while others worry about looking older. The best advice is to accept signs of ageing and not let them spoil your sex life.
50s and 60s
Some women note a higher sex drive after menopause; for others, this is a difficult time as they come to terms with not being able to have children any more. Diseases such as diabetes may interfere with sex drive and activity, so general health is important for a happy sex life at this point.