Apr 5, 2025 08:19 PM
(This post was last modified: Apr 5, 2025 09:21 PM by C C.)
Did they really expect vintage hippies, disco groupies, early mullet-heads and Gen-X slackers to give it up just because of old age?
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The surprising health problem surging in over 50s: sexually transmitted infections
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-...nfections/
EXCERPTS: Nowadays, teenagers in rich countries are drinking less than ever before. They’re also more likely to be addicted to their smartphones than hard drugs. But their parents, who experimented with drugs, sex, and rock & roll, are less likely to give up their old habits.
Over the past decade, infections like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have more than doubled in people aged 55 and older. In the United States, chlamydia cases among adults 65 and over have tripled since 2010. Gonorrhea has increased sixfold. And syphilis soared nearly tenfold.
You’re never too old for an STI (sexually transmitted infection). And yet, the conversation around sex and older adults remains hushed, if not entirely absent.
[...] “The first misconception is that older adults are neither sexually active nor interested in sex, so there is no reason to ask them about their sexual health,” writes gerontologist Janie Steckenrider from Loyola Marymount University...
[...] “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”, explains Professor Kowalska.
Ironically, the lack of sexual education is also a problem. The sexual habits of many over 50s are, oftentimes, appalling. Many older adults enter relationships without adequate knowledge or precautions. Condoms are rarely used. A 2015 study found that just 3% of adults over 60 had used condoms in the past year. Pregnancy isn’t a concern, so protection is often ignored.
The result is that many infections go unnoticed — or untreated. Some STIs present no symptoms. Others mimic common age-related conditions. That delay in diagnosis can allow infections like syphilis or HPV to cause more serious damage.
Doctors also play a role in this problem, or rather, they don’t. Many physicians simply don’t ask older patients about sex. Patients, in turn, often don’t bring it up — whether out of embarrassment or the belief that it’s irrelevant. Even people who suspect they have STIs often avoid bringing it up... (MORE - details)
- - - - - - - - - -
The surprising health problem surging in over 50s: sexually transmitted infections
https://www.zmescience.com/science/news-...nfections/
EXCERPTS: Nowadays, teenagers in rich countries are drinking less than ever before. They’re also more likely to be addicted to their smartphones than hard drugs. But their parents, who experimented with drugs, sex, and rock & roll, are less likely to give up their old habits.
Over the past decade, infections like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have more than doubled in people aged 55 and older. In the United States, chlamydia cases among adults 65 and over have tripled since 2010. Gonorrhea has increased sixfold. And syphilis soared nearly tenfold.
You’re never too old for an STI (sexually transmitted infection). And yet, the conversation around sex and older adults remains hushed, if not entirely absent.
[...] “The first misconception is that older adults are neither sexually active nor interested in sex, so there is no reason to ask them about their sexual health,” writes gerontologist Janie Steckenrider from Loyola Marymount University...
[...] “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”, explains Professor Kowalska.
Ironically, the lack of sexual education is also a problem. The sexual habits of many over 50s are, oftentimes, appalling. Many older adults enter relationships without adequate knowledge or precautions. Condoms are rarely used. A 2015 study found that just 3% of adults over 60 had used condoms in the past year. Pregnancy isn’t a concern, so protection is often ignored.
The result is that many infections go unnoticed — or untreated. Some STIs present no symptoms. Others mimic common age-related conditions. That delay in diagnosis can allow infections like syphilis or HPV to cause more serious damage.
Doctors also play a role in this problem, or rather, they don’t. Many physicians simply don’t ask older patients about sex. Patients, in turn, often don’t bring it up — whether out of embarrassment or the belief that it’s irrelevant. Even people who suspect they have STIs often avoid bringing it up... (MORE - details)