There seems to be a dangerous tendency among some older Americans to consider themselves somehow immune from the health consequences of sexually transmitted diseases.
As if advancing age had conferred upon them an immunity that’s not enjoyed by younger folks.
Sadly, the latest statistics make it clear that STDs are all too common among older men and women.
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 83,000 cases of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis were reported in American men and women 45 and older in 2016, the latest year for which statistics are available.
That represented a whopping increase of just over 20% in the number of such cases reported in 2015. Even more alarmingly, the increase in STDs among those 45 and older between 2012 and 2016 was almost 81%.
Biggest Percentage Increase
Although the rates of STD infection were highest among those between the ages of 15 and 24, the percentage jump in the number of cases a year to year was by far the biggest among older Americans, which signals an alarming trend.
Having grown up in an era when sexually transmitted infections were far less common, many older Americans tend to associate condom use primarily with the prevention of unwanted pregnancy. As they move further into their golden years, unwanted pregnancy is no longer a real concern. However, the threat of STDs is now a much more real threat than it was when these seniors were younger.
Breakdown of Over-45 Data
In releasing its latest STD surveillance report in late September 2017, the CDC noted that more than 2 million cases of chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis were reported among all age groups in 2016. Jonathan Mermin, M.D., director of the CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, broke down the STD statistics among those 45 and older as follows:
- Chlamydia: 43,409 cases reported in people 45 and older in 2016, compared with 38,185 cases in 2015 and 26,405 in 2012.
- Gonorrhea: 33,879 cases in 2016, up sharply from 26,005 in 2015 and 16,257 cases in 2012.
- Syphilis: 5,650 cases of primary and secondary syphilis were reported in 2016, compared with 4,848 in 2015 and 3,176 cases in 2012.
Virtually all of these cases could have been prevented with condom use. While all three of these most common STDs can be treated with antibiotics, these infections are sometimes asymptomatic or the symptoms they cause are overlooked. Left untreated, the sexually transmitted infections can lead to more serious health consequences.
In the case of chlamydia, which often has no symptoms in men, the infection can lead to prostatitis, a bacterial infection that causes a swelling of the prostate gland and can lead to erectile dysfunction.
Ask Doctor to Order Tests
If you have had unprotected sex or suspect that you might be infected with an STD, ask your doctor to order diagnostic tests that can confirm the presence of an infection. And if an infection is present, treatment can begin immediately.
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