Poll: Women over 40 less interested in sex

NEW YORK, March 8 (UPI) -- U.S. women over age 40 have less interest in sex, according to a new survey.

The national Prevention/Roper poll, which questioned more than 2,000 women over the age of 20, also found women feel more confident about career and family -- but would rather reveal their age than their weight.

For women over 40, interest in sex took a nosedive -- 24 percent said sex is important for good health, while twice as many women under 40 say it is.

The average number of pounds women wanted to lose was 41, claiming they didn't feel good about themselves, but the payoff was to "be healthier."

Fifty-eight percent said that "no amount of money" would get them to gain 50 pounds, while 60 percent of women, if stuck on a desert island, would still exercise just for the health benefits.

Seventy percent of the women say they have already researched medical symptoms and what they might mean online before visiting a doctor.

The results of the poll are featured in Prevention magazine's April issue on newsstands this week and online. The poll was conducted by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media in November 2006 and has a margin of error of plus/minus 2.5 percentage points.