Background: Over the past decades, family complexity has increased in high-income countries, leading to a diversification of romantic union arrangements. While research has extensively compared marriages, cohabitations, and living apart together (LAT) unions in terms of relationship quality and health, little is known about how sexual dynamics vary across these relationship types. Theoretical perspectives suggest that cohabiting relationships may integrate sexuality differently from LAT partnerships, where physical separation can either reinforce or diminish sexual intimacy. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by analysing sexual function and satisfaction among men in marital, co-residential, and LAT relationships.

Methods: We analysed cross-sectional data from the European Male Ageing Study (EMAS), a non-interventional cohort study of male ageing across eight European countries between 2005 - 2008. The sample included 3,259 men aged 40-79 who reported their relationship status. Sexual function was assessed using the EMAS Sexual Function Questionnaire (EMAS-SFQ), and hormonal, lifestyle, and health indicators were collected through clinical assessments and laboratory analyses. Statistical analyses included analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) and logistic regression analysis, adjusting for confounders such as age, education, lifestyle, centre, and comorbidities.

Results: LAT relationships were reported by 6.4% of the cohort. A similar share (6.4%) characterised cohabitation, whereas a majority of men, 78.7% declared to be married. LAT men were younger, more educated, and had a higher prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours (smoking, alcohol intake) compared to married men. Despite these unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, LAT men exhibited higher levels of calculated free testosterone (p<0.02), greater sexual desire and satisfaction, and increased frequency of sexual activity, morning erections, and masturbation compared to men in marital or coresidential relationships. Men in co-residential relationships occupied an intermediate position between LAT and married men, with married individuals reporting the lowest sexual desire and frequency of sexual activity.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that relationship stability and cohabitation intertwine with sexual dynamics, with LAT men displaying higher sexual function/satisfaction yet reporting lower overall general satisfaction in the kind of relationship. These results align with previous research indicating that LAT relationships foster sexual intimacy but may lack the broader benefits of marriage (and cohabitation), such as emotional security and shared responsibilities. Furthermore, the absence of daily health oversight from a partner in LAT unions may contribute to riskier health behaviours. This study underscores the need for further research on how relationship type interacts with sexual well-being and health outcomes in later life.

This study contributes to the growing body of research on migrants' reproductive decision-making by examining the short-term fertility intentions of partnered migrants aged 18–49 in Italy. While earlier studies have predominantly focused on migrants’ actual fertility behaviours to test various hypotheses, such as adaptation, selection, disruption and socialisation, recent approaches have extended these frameworks to explore migrants’ fertility desires and intentions. Previous studies in Italy have shown that migrants generally report higher short-term fertility intentions than natives, with variations observed according to citizenship and gender. However, these studies have often relied on broad national aggregates or focused solely on women. This paper uses data from the innovative FOLSCI survey, conducted between May and November 2024 on a representative sample of 12,600 individuals of foreign origin in Lombardy, Lazio, Campania and Apulia, to investigate declared intentions to have a (or another) child within three years. Using binary logistic regression models, we analyse fertility intentions separately for men and women, distinguishing between positive and negative responses. Key explanatory variables include origin (based on country of birth), age at arrival, length of stay, parity, educational attainment, employment status, health, type of couple (mixed versus endogamous) and region of residence. Additionally, the analysis incorporates understudied factors such as current legal status and migratory intentions, which may also influence fertility plans. Our findings provide a more nuanced understanding of reproductive norms among migrants in Italy, highlighting significant differences across gender and origin groups. This offers novel insights to inform both demographic research and policymaking.

Spousal bereavement is a profound life event with significant implications for the well-being of older adults. This study examines the trajectory of life satisfaction before and after widowhood, utilizing longitudinal data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe.
Mixed-effects linear models were estimated separately for men and women, incorporating fixed effects for a time index spanning six semesters before and after the spouse's death, age, education, and country, and random intercepts at the individual level.
Findings indicate a significant decline in life satisfaction immediately following spousal death for both genders. Among men, this decline persists up to the sixth semester post-loss, suggesting a slower recovery. Conversely, women's life satisfaction returns to pre-loss levels by the sixth semester. Notably, women exhibit a significant decrease in life satisfaction in the semester preceding the spouse's death, potentially reflecting the emotional and physical strain associated with caregiving responsibilities during a partner’s final period of illness.

Traditionally, repartnering in middle and older ages has occurred primarily after widowhood, however, the dramatic changes in family demography over the recent decades in the majority of middle- and high-income countries have been transforming the life course dynamics of adult and older individuals (e.g., Aassve et al. 2024; Lichter et al., 2022). The rise in grey divorces (e.g., Brown and Wright, 2019; Alderotti et al., 2022) has made union formation at these ages increasingly common (e.g., Brown et al., 2025; Schimmele and Wu, 2016), leading to family dynamics at older ages that are more complex and diverse. These shifts in family demographic behaviours, together with ongoing trends in population ageing – which extend the capacity for love, intimacy, and social engagement – underscore the importance of studying repartnering behaviours in mid- and later life. Such behaviours are likely to differ from those of younger individuals, due to both structural constraints (such as limited opportunities for union formation) and age- and gender-specific preferences (Schimmele and Wu, 2016; Sassler, 2010). Despite a growing body of research, existing literature on these issues predominantly US-focused (e.g., Brown and Wright, 2019; Lichter et al., 2022; Schimmele and Wu, 2016), with relatively little attention given to the European context. This gap is significant, especially in light of the implications that later-life family dynamics can have for care and support networks among older populations (Pittavino et al., 2025; Vignoli et al., 2025). As for Italy, re-partnering in later life has been largely neglected by scholars, likely reflecting the delayed diffusion of the Second Demographic Transition-related behaviours in the country (Aassve et al., 2024). Nonetheless, even in this “traditional” context, silver separations have been starting to become increasingly common, and repartnering in mid- and later life is no longer a rare occurrence.

In this study, we analyse re-partnering patterns among Italian adults who experienced a union dissolution – through widowhood, divorce, or the end of a non-marital cohabitation – at age 45 or older. Using event history analysis on data from the 2016 Family and Social Subject (FSS) survey conducted by the Italian National Institute of Statistics, our analytical sample includes 2,540 individuals, corresponding to 27,055 person-year observations, among whom we observe 160 re-partnering events (6.3%). Our findings are consistent with previous literature on the correlates of union formation in adult-older age: men are more likely than women to re-partner, and tend to do so more quickly after union ending. The presence of children is associated with a reduced probability of re-partnering, but only among women. The reason for union dissolution matters: we confirm a reduced probability of re-partnering for those who end the union due to a widowhood, but we also found that women exiting non-marital cohabitations exhibit a comparatively higher likelihood of forming a new union. Finally, socio-economic factors further influence re-partnering: education shows a positive gradient on re-partnering, which is especially relevant for women. For them, employment – especially in mid- to lower-level positions – also increases the probability of re-partnering. Overall, this study offers novel insights into re-partnering in later life in Italy, a country where recent demographic shifts are transforming family behaviours and contributing to emerging patterns of family diversity – developments that may significantly reshape the “re-partnering market” in the years to come.

This paper investigates the link between health and marital dissolution after midlife, focusing on Germany. While grey divorce is increasingly common across high-income countries, its determinants in Europe remain understudied—particularly the role of health within couples. Building on the Theory of Dyadic Illness Management, we approach illness as a shared experience that can reshape relationship dynamics in later life.

We use longitudinal data from the German Socio-Economic Panel. Germany offers a compelling case for this study, combining a rapidly ageing population with family norms situated between Southern and Northern European patterns. In line with our theoretical framework, the couple is the unit of analysis. We apply event-history models to estimate the risk of divorce among couples aged 50 and over. Our models control for key socio-demographic factors and assess the mediating role of caregiving and economic strain in the health–divorce association.

We expect that health deterioration will be associated with a higher risk of union dissolution in later life, potentially following gendered patterns, and that caregiving and economic strain will mediate part of the total effect of health on union dissolution risks. This study contributes to understanding how health inequalities intersect with family dynamics in ageing societies.

In this presentation, I examine the policy–fertility nexus in Italy, a country known for its persistently low fertility rates—often attributed to its familistic welfare model and underdeveloped social and family policies. Italy’s “lowest-low” fertility regime stands in stark contrast to individuals’ fertility aspirations, creating a substantial gap between desired and realized fertility—an area ripe for policy intervention. I explore the role of policies in shaping fertility behavior by contrasting two approaches. The pronatalist approach focuses on directly encouraging childbearing, primarily through financial incentives. The structural approach, in contrast, targets the broader socioeconomic conditions that indirectly influence reproductive choices—such as labor market insecurity, housing precarity, persistent gender inequality, and challenges in reconciling paid work with family responsibilities.

The presentation reflects on key theoretical and methodological challenges in studying the policy–fertility relationship and reviews recent empirical research on Italy that we conducted as part of the Age-IT project (Spoke 1, Tasks 2.1 and 2.2). Drawing on micro-level data and experimental evidence, we argue against an exclusive reliance on pronatalist policies to address fertility decline. Instead, we advocate a broader structural strategy, centered on social policies that foster youth autonomy across the life course. Finally, we highlight the growing importance of medically assisted reproduction (MAR) in shaping the future of fertility in Italy.

This study examines the impact of Medically Assisted Reproduction (MAR) on fertility in Italy, a country with the latest average age at first birth in Europe. Despite the growing use of MAR in wealthy nations, no prior research has thoroughly investigated MAR's contribution to overall fertility in Italy. To fill this gap, the authors estimate MAR’s role in total and age-specific fertility rates by birth order, using two administrative data sources: the Birth Assistance Certificate dataset, managed by the Ministry of Health, and the live birth register from ISTAT, the Italian National Statistical Office. The study is especially timely, as the introduction of Essential Levels of Care (LEA) for MAR on January 1^st, 2025, is expected to make these treatments more accessible.

Analysing the latest microdata available on Delivery Birth Certificates referred to 2023, the impact of MAR on the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is 3.9%. This percentage increases to 6.4% when focusing only on firstborn children. The contribution of MAR after age 40 reaches 17.2%, a value that rises to 32.1% when considering the fertility rate of women in their forties having their first child. Further analysis will involve a simulation of the impact of the MAR according to 3 hypotheses (in 2032 and 2042): unchanged scenario compared to what was observed in 2023; trend scenario that follows the recent trend of MAR in the last 4 years; increasing scenario which predicts an increase in MAR reaching the levels of Spain (9% of total live births).

The research starts from data on access to PMA and interventions to protect reproductive health, on possible constraints, on how insurance coverage, in a perspective of public-private intervention, can and if it can represent a real tool to overcome such constraints. The research is carried out through interviews with operators of PMA centers and through a comparison with the US system that sees an important insurance offer especially as a benefit to workers. The comparison is carried out through interviews with employers. The result highlights some critical issues of the insurance system in terms of hyper-medicamentalization of reproduction.