You’re never too old to get an STD! Experts call for over-50s to learn ‘safe sex’ after cases of gonorrhea, chlamydia and syphilis skyrocket in retirement villages
Research suggests that over-50s need to learn safe sex to combat rising STDs, with rates doubling in the past decade.
Rising divorce rates, the rise of Viagra, dating apps, and the growth of retirement villages have combined to make sexual risk-taking now common among older adults.
Cases of the disease, including gonorrhea and syphilis, have risen by almost a fifth among Britain’s baby boomers in just four years.
Researchers found that in 2015, 31,902 new STDs were registered in England among over-45s, which rose to 37,692 in 2019 – an increase of 18 percent
Experts said this is likely an underestimate, with shame and lack of access to sexual health care meaning many will not seek help.
Sex should be “normalized” and become part of routine health care for older generations, they say, rather than simply focusing on young people.
Professor Justyna Kowalska from the Medical University of Warsaw said: ‘People do not become asexual as they get older.
‘Through preventive medicine and an improved lifestyle, people enjoy a healthy life and sex life even longer.
‘Older people often find more satisfaction in their sex lives thanks to experiences and known expectations.
‘We need more role models like Samantha Jones in the TV show Sex and the City to challenge stereotypes around older sexuality.’
In England, 37,692 new STDs were recorded among over-45s in 2019, compared to 31,902 in 2015 – an increase of 18 percent.
Study calls for better sex education among baby boomers as rates of diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis skyrocket in older adults
Meanwhile, half of men and almost a third of women aged 70 and over reported being sexually active, according to a survey of sexual health in older adults in England.
Similarly, in a Swedish survey, 46 percent of those aged 60 and over reported being sexually active, while one in ten aged 90 and over reported being sexually active.
But for many, a lack of sex education at school, combined with the fact that there is no risk of unwanted pregnancies, can increase risky behavior.
Presenting her findings at the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona, Professor Kowalska suggested that sex education programs should be tailored to the over-50s, ensuring that all facilities are within the existing community environment.
She added: ‘Sexual health campaigns target young people and ignore the needs and experiences of people aged 50 and over.
‘Health promotion messages give the impression that condoms and concerns about STDs only apply to young people.
‘But the dangers of undiagnosed and untreated STDs, such as HPV-related cancers and onward transmission, are very real, especially in this age group, which is more likely to have underlying conditions such as heart disease and stroke.’