Sex File: I'm slow to get into bed with new woman in my life

Picture: iStock 

How do I approach sex with a new partner after 30 years of marriage? I've been amicably divorced for 18 months and have now met a woman my age (mid-50s) who I'm really attracted to, but I've been putting off going to bed with her. I don't want her to worry I'm not keen, but it feels a bit like the prospect of losing my virginity again.

It won't be your first time having sex, but it will be your first time having sex with your new partner, so it is fair enough to feel a little bit apprehensive. Of course you want to make a good impression, but remember, she is in her 50s, not her 20s. Unless she is what statisticians call an 'outlier', chances are she hasn't had much sex recently either. Older women have fewer sexual partners than older men. There are a number of reasons for this. It's partly because women live longer, partly because most older men are married, and partly because single men prefer dating younger women.