Retirement: More housework, less sex

WASHINGTON, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- Although 74 percent of U.S. retirees say they are happier, 71 percent report more housework and 22 report less sex, a survey indicates.

The AARP survey, conducted by Opinion Research Corp. of 1,064 people ages 55-75 who are married or living as married, finds 64 percent of retirees say adjusting to their retirement was what they expected, 12 percent say they find it harder and 23 percent say they find it easier than expected.

Retirees who are in a relationship in which both spouses are retired say they are happier, less stressed and spend more time together, however, retired men seem to think they have taken on more of the housework since they retired but working women with a retired spouse tend to disagree, the survey indicates.

Activities that increase after retirement include: sleep, housework and TV watching. Among respondents, 22 percent report having sex less often since they retired. However, 25 percent of men say that they are having less sex after retirement compared with 19 percent of the women.

Fifty-nine percent say they argue about as much as before retirement, 30 percent say they argue less and 6 percent say they argue more. Thirty-eight percent say retirement has made the relationship stronger, while 2 percent said retirement has made the relationship weaker.

The margin of error for the survey is 3-6 percentage points. The survey was taken in November 2007, with spring updates for publication in the January/February issue of AARP The Magazine.