Older women dating younger men report higher sexual satisfaction, study finds

A new study published in Sexual and Relationship Therapy sheds light on the dynamics of age-gap relationships and how they relate to sexual satisfaction, confidence, and overall relationship well-being. The results show that relationship satisfaction was especially important for men in these relationships, while women’s satisfaction was more closely tied to sexual functioning. Notably, older women dating younger men reported higher levels of sexual satisfaction, arousal, and orgasm compared to younger women dating older men.

The idea that age-gap relationships challenge social expectations has long intrigued psychologists. While popular belief suggests that younger women often pair with older men due to evolutionary advantages like financial security or reproductive goals, newer social realities have started to shift those patterns. The research team behind the new study wanted to better understand how people in modern age-gap relationships—across a range of genders and sexual identities—experience intimacy, satisfaction, and well-being.

Prior research has focused heavily on heterosexual couples and often explained preferences using evolutionary theories. These models suggest that men seek younger women for reproductive reasons, while women prefer older men for resources and stability. But these theories do not account for a growing number of people, especially older women and individuals in same-sex relationships, whose preferences and experiences don’t follow this traditional script.

“I am a sex researcher and a psychosexual therapist. Our team comprises psychologists and healthcare practitioners who bring balance to the research team, contributing ideas, approaches, and diverse perspectives,” said study author Samantha Banbury of London Metropolitan University.

“I have worked with age-gap couples who present unique challenges and pressures associated with their dating, including the social constructs surrounding older men or women dating younger individuals. Following a literature review, I found limited research with insufficient evidence, which limits our scope of working with diverse relationships.”

The researchers recruited 126 individuals who were currently in age-gap relationships, defined as having a minimum age difference of seven years. Participants were recruited through social media platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and LinkedIn using a snowball sampling approach. The sample was diverse in terms of gender, sexual identity, and ethnicity, though heterosexual participants were overrepresented.

Participants completed a battery of questionnaires measuring various aspects of their relationships. These included validated scales assessing sexual functioning (tailored for males and females), relationship satisfaction, sexual self-confidence, and mental well-being. Participants also answered questions about how long they had been in the relationship and whether they perceived any financial gain from dating an older or younger partner.

The researchers then conducted statistical analyses to look for patterns in the data. They used correlation and regression models to explore the strength of the relationships between age-gap dynamics and outcomes like sexual satisfaction and relationship well-being. They also used non-parametric tests to compare specific groups—for example, older women dating younger men versus younger women dating older men.

For men, relationship satisfaction was the strongest predictor of how positively they viewed their age-gap relationship. Across all age-gap groups, men who were more satisfied with the relationship reported better sexual functioning, including greater desire, fewer problems with erection and ejaculation, and higher sexual satisfaction. These effects were particularly pronounced among older men dating younger women.

However, men dating other men showed less pronounced associations between age-gap and sexual functioning, possibly due to the small number of participants in this group.

For women, the story was more nuanced. Relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and the absence of sexual pain all predicted how positively women viewed their age-gap relationship. Women in relationships with significantly younger men reported better sexual arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and overall sexual satisfaction. In contrast, younger women dating older men reported lower levels of sexual functioning.

One of the more unexpected findings was related to perceived financial benefit. Younger women dating older men and younger men dating older men were more likely to report that they gained economic stability from the relationship. In contrast, women dating younger men did not report any financial advantage, suggesting that emotional and sexual factors were more important in those relationships.

Another significant finding related to the length of the relationship. Women in relationships that had lasted between six months and a year reported the highest levels of lubrication and orgasm. After this period, these measures appeared to plateau or decline, suggesting a potential “honeymoon” phase in sexual satisfaction for some women in age-gap relationships.

Banbury said the findings were not particularly surprising. “I had previously conducted a small-scale study with a student, examining 24 older women who dated younger men and subsequently scored higher in levels of emotional intelligence, sexual confidence, and sexual functioning compared to similarly aged women who dated men of their age. I find societal attitudes towards age-gap relationships more surprising than the outcomes of our research and the stigma associated with them, which is often judgmental, regardless of gender.”

“Relationships are diverse, and what works for you is crucial, provided, of course, that it remains within the legal realms of acceptability,” Banbury continued. “People often become overly concerned with others’ opinions, which perpetuates the stigma associated with perceived normality and conventions that do not suit everyone. Nor should they. We should focus on establishing our own sense of normality based on what works for us.”

The study offers new insights, but it also has some limitations. The sample size, especially for same-sex and gender-diverse participants, was relatively small. This made it difficult to draw strong conclusions about these groups. The researchers used self-report questionnaires, which are subject to social desirability and memory biases. Some of the measures were also originally designed for heterosexual populations and may not fully capture the experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals.

“Although the sample size was adequate, a larger one would be beneficial,” Banbury noted. “This variation has led to challenges in comparing genders and sexualities. Further investigation into same sex age gap relationships is necessary to inform psychosexual services that support these communities. The lack of available assessment tools exacerbates this issue, as they are not always designed for diverse gender and sexuality groups, which limits participation.”

“Age gap relationships are diverse,” she added. “Our understanding of them is limited. The crucial aspect is to pursue what feels right for you – conventions are mutable social constructs, not immutable entities. Dating isn’t solely for the young, and both dating and relationships are sufficiently varied to warrant exploration. Enjoy.”

The study, “The relationship between age-gap relationships/dating, sexual function, relationship satisfaction, sexual self-efficacy and well-being,” was authored by Samantha Banbury, Beata Pacan, Darina Kostadinova, Joanna Hada, Christopher Morriss-Roberts, Sussana Quarcoo, and Chris Chandler.