Think STDs are for the MTV generation only?  Think again.  The Viagra generation is, shall we say, rising.  It turns out that older men who have recently lost their spouses have a higher risk of being infected during the 6 months to a year after their wives passed away.

Harvard researchers Kirsten Smith, Ph.D., and Nicholas Christakis, M.D., studied 400,000 American couples between 67 and 99 years old.  Of the men who were widowed in the 9 year study, the likelihood of receiving an STD diagnosis rose by 83 percent for recently bereaved men from 1998 onward, when Viagra hit the market.  Gonorrhea was the most common STD among men in the study with syphilis, herpes, and HIV close behind.

Makes sense, but there’s a lesson here.  While birth control may not be an issue, all older people with new sexual partners need to practice safe sex.   Interested in reading the study?  Smith KP, Christakis MA. Association between widowhood and risk of diagnosis with a sexually transmitted disease in older adults. Am J Public Health 99(11), 2009.

We would love to hear from you.  Share your thoughts, comments, feedback, stories, rants, and raves.  America needs to dialogue about sexual health.  Join the conversation.