‘Missing out’ on safe-sex message

If you think only young people are at risk of sexually transmitted infections, think again – rates could be on the rise in older adults.

With more of us living longer and healthier lives, and divorce rates on the rise, many may find new sexual partners later in life.

Experts are now warning those in mid-life and beyond not to forget the risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection from a new partner.

Figures suggest rates of infections have risen among older people in the US and UK in recent years and there is suggestion the same could be happening in Australia.

Chlamydia, a bacterial STI, is common among all age groups in Australia, and has more than doubled in those over 50 years of age since 2005; going from 620 cases to 1,446 last year.

Gonorrhoea, another bacterial infection, has also seen a slight increase in people over 50 years of age, with figures rising from 383 infections in 2005 to 562 last year.

Researchers say while these increases could partly be contributed to more people being tested, the trend has caused concern in some parts of the medical community in Australia and overseas.

They say a cultural shift may contribute to the rise in infections; suggesting some older people are increasingly likely to be single or experiencing relationship changes, according to the UK’s Family Planning Association.

Technology also plays a part in making it easier to meet new partners, with the advent of internet dating and the ease of international travel. Researchers also say the advances in healthcare help to ease the symptoms of menopause and erectile dysfunction; therefore no longer spelling the end of an active sex life.

However, education campaigns about safe sex are generally aimed at younger people; with the common misconception that older people are more likely to feel embarrassed about seeking information on STIs and may lack the knowledge to protect themselves.

Dr Deborah Bateson, medical director at Family Planning NSW, began researching older women’s views and experience of safe sex after noticing a rise in the number of older women asking for STI tests and being diagnosed with STIs, particularly chlamydia.

The organisation surveyed a sample of women who used internet dating sites and found, compared with younger women, those aged between 40 years of age and 70 years, were more likely to say they would agree to sex without using protection with a new partner.

Similarly, a telephone survey commissioned by Andrology Australia found about 40% of men aged 40 years and older, who have casual sex, do not use condoms.

Dr Bateson says older people may have “missed out” on the safe sex message, which started to be heavily promoted in the 1980s with the advent of HIV/AIDS.

“There is a lot of the information around chlamydia that relates to infertility in the future, so again for older women, there may be a sense that it’s not relevant for them,” she says.

Experts also suggest the signs and symptoms of some STIs can be mistaken as a normal part of ageing, such as vaginal soreness or irregular bleeding.

But Julie Bentley, chief executive of the UK’s Family Planning Association, says STIs “don’t care about greying hair and a few wrinkles”.

What do you think about this latest study? Are you surprised? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.