Report: Swingers at a higher risk of contracting STDs

New research has found that swingers, straight couples who engage in group sex or swap sexual partners, have a higher odds of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STD) than prostitutes. In fact, researchers have discovered that swingers aged 45 years and older may be at the highest risk.

During a one-year study, Dutch investigators examined medical records of three sexual health clinics in which physicians recorded if patients engaged in the swinger lifestyle. Reports showed that from 2007 to 2008, the centers treated approximately 9,000 patients who considered themselves swingers.

The team discovered that more female swingers had contracted STDs compared to male swingers, and approximately 10 percent of straight swingers tested positive for chlamydia and gonorrhea.

Contracting either disease continues to be a growing epidemic as more than 1.2 million people in the U.S. tested positive for chlamydia in 2008, while more than 336,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported that same year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report.

Because of the stigma associated with swinger lifestyle, researchers found that these individuals are less likely to get tested or seek treatment if they contract a disease. Americans who are concerned about their health, but are uncomfortable with making an appointment with a doctor to be tested, can benefit from purchasing online STD test kits.