Your Orgasms Get Better As You Age

Now this is the kind of news we love to share: according to a new survey, women age 36 and older have the best and most frequent orgasms compared to younger women. Yes, please.

The survey, conducted by the contraceptive app Natural Cycles, relied on previous data collected from more than 2,600 women. The women were asked about their level of sexual satisfaction, how attractive they feel, and the frequency and quality of their orgasms. Respondents were grouped into three age brackets: 23 and younger, 23 to 36, and 36 and older.

You’d probably expect the women in their early 20s to report the highest level of orgasmic satisfaction. But the results showed the opposite to be true; women in the youngest age group had the least frequent orgasms. In contrast, the majority of the women in the oldest age group experienced the most regular—and the highest quality—Os.

Sex therapist Ian Kerner, PhD, isn’t surprised by these findings. “Many women I talk to in their late 30s and 40s feel like they know what turns them on or off and that they can communicate that with their partner,” he says. (Kerner was not involved in the survey.)

To explain the survey results, Kerner says to consider what’s going on with most women both physically and psychologically as they get into their thirties. While female hormone levels are highest in the mid-20s, he explains, that doesn’t translate into the most mind-blowing orgasms. Rather, it’s likely that best orgasms happen when women are in a sexy place from a psychological standpoint.

“Older women are often in long-term relationships or marriages that are positive, that make them feel desired and confident,” says Kerner. “As women age, they develop more of the social and psychological supports to advocate for their own sexuality and they’re more in touch with their sexuality as well.”

Younger women, on the other hand, typically haven’t had as many serious partners, so they might be less attuned to what does and doesn’t work for them in the sack.

Of course, age isn’t an automatic magic bullet for your best sex yet. “I also work with a lot of women across all age groups who have sexual esteem issues and are not having the sex that they want,” says Kerner.

So while turning 36 might not guarantee your craziest climax ever, growing older and wiser definitely seems to help amp up orgasms, especially when a loving significant other is involved. Good to know that the best (sex) really might be yet to come.