Portugal’s highest court has declared that sex shouldn’t matter for women after 50, according to the New York Times. Why is the legal system weighing in on such a personal matter? Maria, a 69-year-old housekeeper and mother of two, has been fighting for almost 20 years after a botched surgery in 1995 left her incontinent and unable to have sex without severe pain. Although she won her first case against the clinic, she lost the appeal on October 9.  In addition to reducing her compensation, the Court’s opinion stated “sex does not have the importance that it had at younger ages.”Yes, really.The case has stoked feminist flames in Portugal, as well as brought up concerns about ageism within the courts. Fortunately for all Portugese women, Maria’s lawyer is taking an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights.

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