Medical Students Find STDs Among Older Americans Doubled in Past Ten Years

Most people equate sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as gonorrhea, syphilis, and of course HIV and AIDS with the younger crowed. Older people are more settled the thinking goes, and hopefully more responsible. Not so, according to students at King's College in London. They've found that rates for STDs in those older than 45 have doubled in the past decade. They've published the results of their research in Student BMJ, the highly respected medical journal overseen by actual doctors, clinicians and other medical researchers.

The team's research shows that syphilis, Chlamydia and gonorrhea rates for those 45-90 in the US, the UK and Canada have climbed steadily for virtually all types of STDs and for all ages in that group. They also found that 82% of men and women in the same age group are sexually active. In addition, the team discovered that there has been a significant rise in HIV infections in older people as well and say that 20% of medical resources directed towards caring for HIV and AIDs patients now includes senior citizens. They acknowledge that part of the numbers in this group might be made of people that contracted the virus when younger and have been fighting it for decades.

The team writes that thus far there hasn't been much research done to explain the rising infection rates in older people, but common sense indicates that more older people are having sex with people they are not in a relationship with, are engaging with more partners and many of them don't use condoms, perhaps under the false assumption that people in their age group are not at risk. As for the higher rates in those that are considered elderly, part of the blame might lie with new pharmaceuticals that help assist men in their endeavors. The group also notes that post-menopausal women are generally more at risk of contracting STDs due to less robust immune systems.

Not mentioned in the study is genital warts, also known as HPV, which has become the number one most sexually transmitted disease in the United States, and also the focus of political discussions regarding requiring young girls to get shots to prevent infection.

The students conclude their report by suggesting that doctors begin taking the initiative in educating their patients to the dangers of contracting STDs, especially men that are prescribed erectile dysfunction pills, because based on the study, they are the ones that are most at risk.