Increase in sexual activity among seniors leading to spike in STDs

A study released in the New England Journal of Medicine confirmed that a substantial percentage of seniors in the US - those 57 years of age and older - are engaging in sexual activity despite their age. This social phenomenon, which carries a certain taboo among some, has led to a significant amount of these seniors contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), according to the Huffington Post.

One reason for the lack of STD information among those in their late 50s and older may be that there was little education available on these types of infections before the spread of HIV became a worldwide health concern over 30 years ago. The awareness of STDs spurred by the HIV/AIDS pandemic did not directly affect seniors, and doctors may not ask their older patients about their sexual health or practices.

The news source cites data culled from a study by the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, stating that adults over the age of 40 were the least likely to use condoms. More than 90 percent of men over 50 claimed not to use a condom during their last sexual encounter with someone they knew. Seventy percent made the same claim regarding sex with a stranger.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that Americans 50 and older accounted for 24 percent of the people living with HIV and AIDS in 2005, a spike from the 17 percent reported in 2001.