Last Updated on June 4, 2020 by Nancy Carteron, MD, FACR
This guest post was written by Anthea Morris, Director of Better2Know (mention ‘STI Project’ and receive a 5% discount on all testing services).
In Hollywood, the answer to that question used to very much be: yes, there is, and it’s about the time that no one will body double for you anymore, as body doubles are far too sensible (vain) and doing other things with their lives (having given up trying to get into the movies), or to put an age on it: 30.
Luckily, the film ‘Hope Springs’ is showing us that people over the age of 50 are indeed having sex and possibly more than they did before.
Reasons are numerous: of course, sex is fun; most people enjoy the intimacy of the moment; and for many, it is still a cornerstone of their relationship. For others, it may be the re-discovering of sexual freedom following the end of a relationship. As divorce rates and life expectancy go up, so does the number of partners people are having over their lifetime.
New-found sexual freedom isn’t uncommon in the newly single and this freedom doesn’t diminish as one gets older.
The Need for Safer Sex in the 45-64 Age Group
At Better2Know in the UK, we know that the number of people in their 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s (and in the case of one gentleman, 84) coming to us about safer sex, sexual health and for STI testing is increasing.
We think people are having more partners following the break-up of a marriage or long-term relationship but are also forgetting those sexual health lessons of their youth. As the likelihood of an unplanned pregnancy decreases with a woman’s age, one forgets the other reasons why condoms are important; condoms don’t just prevent pregnancy, they also prevent STIs.
In the UK, the age group with the biggest rise in Chlamydia, Herpes, Syphilis and Genital Warts was the 45 to 64 year olds. This same age group had the second biggest rise in Gonorrhoea – beaten only by the over 65 year-olds.
So, no longer is safer sex an issue for teenagers and 20 year olds alone.
If you forgot to be good [practice safer-sex] whilst having fun, then the next best thing is to be responsible and have an STI test. This will give you peace of mind and help prevent further transmission of any infection that you might have.
Don’t worry, you aren’t alone – and maybe your doctor is even secretly jealous.
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This guest post was written by Anthea Morris, Director of Better2Know. Better2Know is the UK’s leading private provider of sexual health testing clinics – mention ‘STI Project’ and receive a 5% discount on all testing services!
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Were you surprised by the rise in STD rates for people in the 45-64 year old age group? Are you in that age group and recently found yourself getting your first STD test in quite some time or your first ever? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!
