Older Americans now have twice as many sexually transmitted infections (STI) when compared to a decade ago, a new study has found.
New research to be presented in April at the pre-congress day at this year's European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona, Spain, will state the need for urgent ways to manage the rise in conditions such as gonorrhea, syphilis, and genital warts in the Baby Boomer generation.
The research will also stress the need for conversations around STIs in older people to be normalized, as it is a growing issue.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the rates of STIs in adults aged 55 and older have doubled over the past decade.
"Rising divorce rates, forgoing condoms as there is no risk of pregnancy, the availability of drugs for sexual dysfunction, the large number of older adults living together in retirement communities, and the increased use of dating apps are likely to have contributed to the growing incidence of STIs in the over 50s", Justyna Kowalska, who is presenting the research, said in a statement.
Kowalska is a professor at the Medical University of Warsaw, Hospital for Infectious Diseases in Warsaw, Poland.
"These data likely underestimate the true extent of the problem, as limited access to sexual health services for the over 50s, and trying to avoid the stigma and embarrassment both on the part of older people and healthcare professionals, is leading to this age group not seeking help for STIs."
For example, gonorrhea cases rose from 15 per 100,000 people in 2015, to 57 per 100,000 in 2019.
Gonorrhea, if left untreated, can cause serious health problems in women and men. With the right treatment, however, it can be cured.
Many STIs simply require medication to treat it effectively, meaning awareness around the conditions is important.
The rise is being put down partly to misconceptions around sexual activity among older adults. According to Kowalska, there is a lack of awareness about how important sex and intimacy is in older people.
"People do not become asexual with age. In fact, with preventive medicine and improved lifestyles, people are enjoying a healthy life and sex life for longer," Kowalska said.
"Older people often find greater satisfaction in their sex lives due to experience 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 fact, previous studies have shown that there is a higher level of sexual desire, greater sexual frequency and more sexual partners in the over-50s age group.
One such study found that in the U.S., out of 420,790 couples aged 67 to 99 years, a greater increase in STIs was linked to widowhood. However only in men and not women.
"These findings indicate that sexual risk-taking is common among older adults, particularly men," Kowalska said.
"Given that the number of people aged 60 years and older is set to double worldwide by 2050 and the widespread availability of drugs to enhance sexual activity, health professionals must be proactive in discussing sexual concerns and making sexual health a routine part of general health care for older adults."
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