It’s been reported many times by the CDC and other agencies that STI (sexually transmitted infection) rates have been increasing in recent years. New data highlights that the biggest increase in the US is in older people. Specifically, those aged over 65.
Compiled by Fairhealth, which tracks billions of health insurance claims across the US, and covering the period between 2020-2023, it found the STI rates jumped by 24 percent in those aged over 65 in this period. The data specifically covers commercially insured patients only.
There was also a 16 percent increase in STI rates for those aged 55-64. The only decrease was seen in those aged under 24.
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The data did not look at sexuality. However, it’s known that gay and bisexual men are disproportionately likely to report having an STI.
According to the Fairhealth data, the infections showing the greatest increase were syphilis (29.4 percent), gonorrhea (16.8 percent) and HIV (14.1 percent).
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Gonorrhea fell by 19 percent in women but rose by 59 percent in men. Both men and women showed an increase in syphilis.
Patients aged 65 and older also had the largest increase (32.2 percent) in human papillomavirus (HPV) diagnoses.
Earlier this year, the CDC released its latest HIV figures. It found an overall drop in 2022 in HIV infection diagnoses. However, the biggest drop (down 30% on 2018 figures) was among those under 24. Those over 24 showed no change in HIV infection rates.
Dating apps
In May, the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Disease in Barcelona, Spain, heard about the problems posed by growing STI rates in older folk.
Although the majority of STI cases are reported in those aged under 44, the upward trend for older people is something concerning health experts.
For example, in England, the number of over 45s diagnosed with gonorrhea and syphilis doubled between 2015 and 2019. The majority of that rise has been in gay men.
Professor Justyna Kowalska from the Medical University of Warsaw, who led the research presented at the European conference, offers reasons. These include the rise of dating apps, and erectile dysfunction medication such as Viagra. An increasing number of people are having sex at a later stage in life.
“Rising divorce rates, forgoing condoms as there is no risk of pregnancy, the availability of drugs for sexual dysfunction, the large number of older adults living together in retirement communities, and the increased use of dating apps are likely to have contributed to the growing incidence of STIs in the over 50s”, says Professor Kowalska.
Whatever your age, if you’re sexually active, make sure you get a regular STI check-up. This should be regardless of whether you have symptoms or not. That’s not just a message for horny youngsters but silver daddies, too!
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