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Older People Affected by Rising Risk of STDs
By
Dr. David Lipschitz
There is good and bad news about sexually transmitted diseases, STDs.
In the case of HIV and AIDS, incredible breakthroughs in therapy have now
led to the hope of a cure.
Antiviral therapy can keep the disease at bay for decades and allow those infected
with the virus to lead near-normal lives. In developing countries, aggressive
public health campaigns aimed at education, minimizing spread of the disease
and improving access to therapy are leading to significant progress.
With better treatment has come a greater sense of complacency about the dangers
of STDs, particularly among teenagers and young adults. But the groups that tend
to take these illnesses the least seriously are middle-aged and older people.
In the past decade, the greatest percent increase in HIV and other STDs — including
gonorrhea, chlamydia, herpes and syphilis — has occurred in the elderly.
The Center for Disease Control reported that between 2000 and 2010, the incidence
of these diseases doubled for HIV and more than tripled for the other STDs. In
2005, 15 percent of all new cases of HIV occurred in people over the age of 50,
and that number continues to increase.
Statistics from a recent study published in Student British Medical Journal indicate
that approximately 80 percent of those between the ages of 50 and 90 remain sexually
active.
This has been fueled in part, according to epidemiologists, by the development
of drugs to treat erectile dysfunction and the availability of online dating.
In the past few years, the greatest increase in the use of online dating services
occurred in those over the age of 50. And becoming widowed or divorced is leading
to exposure to more sexual partners and a greater risk of an STD.
“This could not possibly happen to me” is a common response when
an older person becomes infected. No question the baby boomers, who ushered in
the sexual revolution, remain quite naive when it comes to the risks of STDs.
They are less likely to practice safe sex than their younger counterparts, some
believing that because pregnancy is no longer possible, contraception is not
needed. At every age, the risk of acquiring an STD is greater in women, and because
of age-related changes, the risk is particularly great in women who are past
menopause.
In many retirement communities in Florida and Arizona, there are six single women
for every single man. STDs have been widely spread by men who have multiple sexual
partners and do not practice safe sex. Some have referred to these men as “condo
cowboys” who can date frequently, provided they are able to drive at night
and pay for dinner.
The message from this information is clear. No matter your age, beware of STDs
and heed the advice that applies to everyone. First and foremost, be serious.
The best way to prevent an STD is not to have sex. Abstinence is the only sure
way of prevention. If you are having sex, only do so with one partner who does
not have an STD and who only has sex with you.
If you are beginning a new relationship, think about getting tested first. And
unless totally safe, always use barrier methods like a latex condom, the best
protection against an STD. But remember, even condoms are not 100 percent effective.
And if you do have multiple sexual partners or are in a new relationship, have
regular physical examinations. Inquire whether you should be tested for an STD
if you think you have been exposed.
Sadly, many of these infections remain asymptomatic, increasing the risk of being
spread if not appropriately treated. And while pelvic and pap smears generally
are deferred after the age of 70, these should be done in those in a new relationship.
Continued intimacy, love and companionship improve the quality and quantity of
our lives, particularly as we reach our so-called golden years. Finding a new
partner to share our life is a special gift. But these new relationships have
to be taken very seriously and carefully. Remember, being single and sexually
active today is far more dangerous than in the liberated years of the 1960s.
This page and its contents ©2012
Metropolitan News Company, Inc.
