Over-50s can still get frisky

Turning 50 can liberate your bedroom life, a Manawatu adult shop owner says.

Shona Vos, of Barbarellas in Palmerston North, said many people found "a new lease on life" when they reached their later years. "You don't have the hassle of kids and can give more joy to yourself," she said.

Women in particular seemed to enjoy the freedom which comes with age.

"By the time ladies get to their 50s, they'll let their hair down a bit more than when they're in their 20s.

"They're not so prudish anymore."

A bedroom survey out this week found naughty sex and a morning tumble are favoured by the over-50s.

About 700 Kiwis nearing their golden years participated in the survey, performed by online social club and lifestyle magazine GrownUps.

Many are indulging in pleasures of the flesh on a daily basis, with others choosing to save it for "special occasions".

Sex toys are also popular and even rest home residents are not immune to a little physical intimacy.

It follows the rise of the "mummy porn" novels such as 50 Shades of Grey, which delve into the world of erotica, with explicit descriptions of sex.

More than 30 per cent of those surveyed nominated the morning as the preferred time for getting intimate and about half said sex toys featured in their bedroom antics.

Dr Christine Roke, national medical adviser at Family Planning, said people of all ages enjoyed getting busy in the bedroom.

But findings that suggested nearly one-in-five older lovers had never used a condom had to be taken with a grain of salt, she said.

"This is a survey that has been done by a fun, social club, and people who took part tend to be quite social."

It was important to remember that the older generation grew up without condoms or today's heightened awareness around safe sex.

Last year, 8551 divorces were granted, according to Statistics NZ. This translated to a divorce rate of 9.8 for every Kiwi 1000 marriages.

One-in-three couples who married in 1986 also divorced in 2011 before reaching their silver wedding anniversary.

Meanwhile, survey results reveal a lucky 4 per cent of 50-plus Kiwis are having sex at least once a day. But that's a distant dream for 11 per cent of those surveyed, who admitted they never had sex. A further 14 per cent only had sex on special occasions.

GrownUps website founder Richard Poole said the results showed how important it was to practise safe sex.

"It's quite obvious that the over-50s are having a lot of sex, but it's important to make sure you know your partner has had a 'Sexual Warrant of Fitness'." APNZ