Middle aged 'oblivious' about safe sex

Middle aged men and women are 'apparently oblivious' when it comes to safe sex and using condoms, a sexual health charity said.

More and more newly single middle aged people are using websites, dating nights and holidays as ways to find new partners, said the Family Planning Association. But too many seem to be oblivious to the need to practice safer sex.

Almost 13,000 men and women over the age of 45 were diagnosed with an STI last year, double the number in the year 2000, the charity revealed.

And although we often hear about the rise in STIs in younger people, more men over the age of 45 caught genital herpes in 2009 than those in the 16 to 19 age group. In fact, over 5,000 cases were reported for both men and women in the same year.

In the past nine years, the number of women with a chlamydia infection soared by 95 per cent.

Calls to the FPA helpline from older people worried about their sexual behaviour and STIs have also shot up by 30 per cent in just three years.

Middle aged men and women are more likely to feel embarrassed about seeking out information about STIs, and some may also mistakenly think that condoms are no longer needed.

This age group needs be targeted in sexual health campaigns as well as young people, the charity said.

Julie Bentley, chief executive of the FPA, said: “Many over 50s, relieved contraception is no longer an issue, forget about using condoms. Others haven’t had to think about using condoms for decades, let alone go into a shop and buy them.

"Worries about confidentiality stop them going to clinics which tend to be more geared for young people. We often have the over 50s asking our helpline whether they are allowed to attend because of their age.

“We celebrate the positive and fulfilling sexuality of the over 50s, but we also have to get the message across that STIs don’t care about greying hair and a few wrinkles. This is a concerning situation which unless we take action now is only going to get worse.”

The FPA has launched a campaign to highlight the problem, called The Middle-age Spread. A free booklet on relationships and sexual health for people over 50 is available from the charity.

This article was published on Tue 14 September 2010