Middle-Aged, Sexually Active, and at Great Risk for STDs

Many middle-aged and older adults feel they are somehow immune to sexually transmitted diseases just because of there age. However studies show that an increasing number of older adults are contracting sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, herpes, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea at a rate that rivals or sometimes exceeds other age groups.

According to published statistics from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in 2003, newly diagnosed cases of Aids in adults between the ages of 45 to 54 was 10,051. This actually exceeds the number of newly diagnosed cases of Aids in younger adults between the ages of 25 to 34, which was 9,605. The news for adults between the ages of 35 to 44 is even worse, where a staggering 17,633 newly diagnosed cases of Aids were recorded in 2003, the highest rate of any age group.

Statistics on the number of cases of herpes by age group are not available, however, it is widely accepted that 1 in 5 adults has contracted or will contract some form of the herpes virus during there life time. This would include oral herpes (HSv1) and/or genital herpes (HSV2), both of which can be transferred during risky sexual behavior.

Between 1995 and 2003, new cases of syphilis increased by 275 percent in middle-aged and older adults, chlamydia by 175 percent and gonorrhea by 254 percent. Middle-aged and older adults often contract an STD infection through unprotected heterosexual sex with new partners that are also in their same age group. The risk of contracting an STD may even be increase for middle-aged and older adults due to the combination of denial, secrecy and their age. When they indulge in risky sexual behavior they often do so with the false belief that, at their age, they are at very low risk or even immune to STDs. In fact, there age may actually put them at greater risk due to physiological changes such as the gradual decline in immune function and the presence of other diseases.

Once infected, middle-aged and older adults often wait a long time before seeking medical advice, increasing the chances of passing on their STD to another partner. Studies have shown that more than 80 percent of adults over 50 are sexually active, while 7 percent engaged in risky sex. The assumption about older women in particular has long been that if they are sexually active they are in low-risk monogamous heterosexual relationships. Reality is that due to divorce, death of a spouse or even unhappy marital relations, many women are also initiating new sexual relationships and, as pregnancy is not an issue, many do not use condoms. However, the greatest risk-takers among mid-aged and older adults are married males between the ages of 50 and 60.

In this current era of mass messages about practicing safer sex, much attention has been focused on the rising rates of STD's among the young and young adults. Middle-aged and older adults have largely been ignored within the field of sexual health and they are often omitted from STD prevention programs altogether. However it has become increasingly important to include this generation in the discussion because, contrary to popular belief, the statistic show that chlamydia, herpes, genital warts, gonorrhea and even HIV are not uncommon among people aged 45 to 64.

John Trout is an internet research specialist and web master of several information related websites including: http://www.herpes-pics.com/ where this article was first published. This informative website is an excellent source for a sound education about the herpes virus as well as the latest news about treatments and a possible herpes cure.