No Decrease, Research Reveals Male Libido Actually Increases in Their 40s

Illustration of a man (Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Until now, many people believe that men's sexual desire decreases after the age of 20 because testosterone levels begin to decrease by about 1 percent per year after the age of 30.

However, recent research from the University of Tartu, Estonia shows the opposite fact, namely that men's sexual desire actually increases until the age of 40.

The study, which analyzed data from more than 67,000 adults aged 20 to 84, found that men's libido continued to rise until the early 40s before slowly declining.

"Hormones are important, but they are not the only factor. Our data show that sexual desire lasts longer than predicted based on hormones alone, and social and relationship factors have a big influence," explained Toivo Aavik, a professor at the University of Tartu and one of the study's authors, quoted from the Euro News page.

The study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, emphasizes that human sexual desire is not only influenced by biology, but also by psychological and environmental factors.

"Sexual desire is not just a small thing. It is important in how a person experiences sex, builds sexual relationships, and assesses their intimate life. Practically, it is also very important for relationship health and of course overall health," said Aavik.

The study also found certain professions correlated with higher levels of sexual desire, including machine operators, senior managers, drivers, and members of the military. In contrast, office workers and those working in customer service tend to have lower desires.

In addition, sexual orientation also has an effect. Bisexual people report higher desire, while those in happy and stable relationships show a smaller increase.

Meanwhile, women's sexual desire tends to peak between the ages of 20 to 30 and decreases significantly after the age of 50, in line with the decline in post-menopausal estrogen hormones. However, social factors such as child care and stigma also affect women's sexual desire.

"In many societies, men's sexual arousal is more visible and legitimate to report, while women may be less likely to report their desires due to internal norms, uncertainty, or concerns about stigma," said Aavik.

This study confirms that sexual desire is complex and highly influenced by individual factors.

"Social norms, measurement differences, and the often internal and context-dependent nature of women's sexual desire explain why average surveys show differences between men and women," Aavik explained.