The New England Journal of Medicine study found only about one-third of men and one in five women had talked to their doctor about sex since turning 50, The Miami Herald reported Saturday. But the same study determined most Americans are sexually active into the 60s and nearly half well into their 70s.

Healthcare experts believe sex plays an integral role in seniors' well being and that there's a ''use it or lose it'' element involved, the newspaper reports.

''The biggest thing I find is that the availability of a partner is critical. If that function isn't used, it often doesn't come back,'' said Dr. Bernard Roos, director of the Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine.

''There are a lot of things you just have to teach people. The biggest thing is not to be in a rush. It takes a long time for an older man to get an erection. What used to take 10 minutes may take a half hour."