Sexually active life expectancy shows significant gender differences in France, with men expecting 47.1 years versus 44.5 years for women, but these differences narrow when accounting for sexual satisfaction and non-partnered behaviors.
A 20-24-year-old man in France has a sexually active life expectancy of 47.1 years, compared to 44.5 years for a woman.
Including masturbation expands sexually active life expectancy to 52.9 years for men and 48.9 years for women.
Men lose more years of sexual life expectancy due to poor sexual satisfaction than women, but the gender gap in overall sexually active life expectancy narrows when accounting for satisfaction.
Among individuals aged 50-89, the gender gap in being sexually active and satisfied narrows substantially after adjusting for partnership status, health, and sociodemographic factors.
The study used Sullivan's method combining 2023 French vital registration life tables with the CSF-2023 national survey to estimate sexually active life expectancy.
This research suggests that in France, men can expect to have more years of sexual activity than women across their lifetimes, but the size of this difference depends heavily on how 'sexual activity' is defined and whether quality of that activity is taken into account. Starting from age 20-24, men can expect about 47 years of sexually active life compared to about 44.5 years for women when only partnered sex is counted. When masturbation is included, these figures rise to roughly 53 years for men and 49 years for women. Importantly, when the researchers factored in sexual satisfaction, men lost more years (11 years) to poor satisfaction than women (8 years), which narrowed the overall gender gap in fulfilling sexual life expectancy. The study also found that among older adults (ages 50-89), women were less likely than men to report being both sexually active and satisfied, but much of this gap could be explained by differences in partnership status, health, and other social factors — suggesting that women's lower sexual satisfaction in later life is not simply a matter of gender, but is tied to the social and health circumstances they are more likely to face as they age. This research matters because it moves beyond a narrow view of sexual health that focuses only on partnered intercourse, and instead captures a fuller picture of sexual life including solo activity and subjective satisfaction. The findings suggest that policies and healthcare approaches aimed at supporting sexual well-being across the lifespan may need to address gender-specific patterns, particularly the role that partnership availability and health play in shaping older women's sexual experiences.
C. Moreau, Lena Pamboutzoglou, Antoine Sireyjol, Nathalie Bajos. (2026). Gender Differences in Sexually Active Life Expectancy in France.. Perspectives on sexual and reproductive health. https://doi.org/10.1111/psrh.70076