U.S. singles happier with sex than married

WASHINGTON, May 12 (UPI) -- Dating U.S. singles age 45 and older report they are happier with their sex lives than those the same age who are married, an AARP survey indicates.

Forty-eight percent of dating singles say they have sexual intercourse at least once a week, compared with 36 percent of married couples. Sixty percent of single daters say they are satisfied with their sex lives compared with 52 percent of married couples, the survey says.

However, only one-in-five sexually active dating singles day say they use condoms regularly to prevent sexually transmitted diseases.

Eighty-five percent of men and 61 percent of women agree with the statement that "sex is a necessary component to living a happy and healthy life, and sexual satisfaction plays a critical role in relationships and overall quality of life."

The top predictor of sexual satisfaction is frequency of sexual intercourse with 84 percent saying more than once a week is ideal, while 59 percent say they are satisfied with sex once or twice a month, the survey says.

For AARP, Knowledge Networks surveyed 1,670 adults age 45 and older from Aug. 21 to Sept. 14, 2009, via a telephone-recruited online panel in both English and Spanish. No margin of error was provided.