The rising tide of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis among older adults

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rates of STIs like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis have more than doubled among Americans aged 55 and above.

Medical professor Justyna Kowalska sounds the alarm, revealing that both medical professionals and older adults themselves are turning a blind eye to the risks lurking in the bedroom for this age group. “We talk about diet, exercise, and smoking, but sex? Not so much.”

Across the pond in England, STI diagnoses among the 45-and-up crowd shot up by 22% between 2014 and 2019.

Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis

With longer life expectancies and increasingly active lifestyles, today’s sixty, seventy, and even eighty-year-olds are refusing to hang up their boots. A survey by AARP and the University of Michigan revealed that 40% of folks aged 65-80 are still getting busy between the sheets.

Matthew Lee Smith, associate professor at the Texas A&M School of Public Health, points out that traditional schooling in past decades rarely covered sexual education. Consequently, gaps in knowledge about STIs — from transmission to prevention — persist among older adults.

Another hurdle — the awkwardness that both doctors and patients face when broaching the topic of sex. “No one wants to think about grandma doing this.” Yet, regardless of age, everyone deserves intimacy and sufficient information to stay safe.

And let’s not forget the logistical challenges. From dwindling dexterity to erectile dysfunction, older adults may find condom use a tad trickier.

Aging bodies aren’t as resilient when it comes to fighting off infections. Ethan Morgan, an assistant professor of epidemiology, warns that weakened immune systems and physiological changes can make older adults more susceptible to STIs.

It’s time for doctors to step up and have those uncomfortable conversations about safe sex with their older patients. As Smith puts it, “We want them to have their best life, but we want them to have it safely.”

Cover Photo: Depositphotos

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