New research published in Psychology & Sexuality highlights an important pattern: among women who have experienced non-consensual sex, older age was linked to a quieter sense of willingness and to less clear outward signals of consent. That pattern was not observed for men or for women without those histories, possibly because men process trauma differently. This is a specific result about how consent can look in later life, not a blanket claim that desire declines with age.

What Changed

Two things changed together. First, some older women in the affected group reported a lower internal sense of readiness — less comfort, less emotional preparedness, and a reduced sense of agreement when thinking about sex. Second, the same group reported fewer obvious signals that they were willing: less direct verbal agreement, fewer clear gestures, and generally weaker outward cues.

The important point is the pairing: the inward state and the outward signal both trended downward. It wasn’t just people being quieter in conversation; it was a matched shift in what they reported feeling and what they reported showing.

Why It Might Happen

The simplest explanation offered by researchers is that earlier non-consensual experiences leave lasting changes in how people judge safety and use communication in intimate contexts. Those changes do not always present as obvious distress. Instead they can reshape everyday responses: a habitual caution around explicit verbal consent, a tendency to hold back signs of enjoyment, or a slower arrival at the calm, confident state that supports willing participation.

Over time, habits formed to protect a person in the aftermath of harm can become persistent patterns. What began as a useful defence—avoiding explicit signals that once felt dangerous—may later look like muted consent. That process can affect both the inner sense of being ready and the visible ways someone indicates readiness.

What This Doesn’t Mean

The result is a link seen in a specific group studied, mostly White and heterosexual; it does not establish that ageing causes consent to decline. Nor does it mean every older woman with a history of harm will experience these changes. The study does not measure the exact timing or frequency of past events, so it cannot say whether recent trauma or events decades earlier matter most. In short: the finding flags a pattern that deserves attention, not a universal rule about ageing or desire.

In short: the finding flags a pattern that deserves attention, not a universal rule about ageing or desire.

What This Means for Everyday Life

When internal readiness and external signalling move together, the risk is simple and practical. Services and conversations that focus only on outward checklists — “did they say yes?” — can miss persistent internal barriers that make saying yes difficult. Clinicians, educators and partners should recognise that a muted outward signal may sometimes reflect safety strategies shaped by past harm rather than straightforward disinterest.

That has clear implications: trauma-sensitive approaches that address bodily safety, trust and communication are relevant across the lifespan. Support can include therapeutic work on bodily confidence, communication strategies that reduce perceived risk in saying yes or no, and everyday practices that slow encounters to allow comfort to develop.

Story Source: Littlejohn, J., Sloan, M., & Willis, M. (2025), published in Psychology & Sexuality. Read the study here.