Inside Health: It's not just young people who are at risk of sexual infections

Published on Wednesday 26 November 2008 20:41

YOU would think by now that the safe-sex message would be well and truly embedded in people's minds. Think again – and it's not just the youngsters putting themselves at risk of unwanted pregnancy and serious disease.

A new report this week highlighted the huge burden of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the under-25s, and particular concern was raised about infections in women.

But a fact somewhat overlooked was that the over-40s are also seeing a surge in cases of diseases such as gonorrhoea and chlamydia.

And if these infections are rising, it also indicates this same group are putting themselves dangerously at risk of other diseases, such as HIV.

Sexual-health experts believe older people wrongly think STIs are something which affects only the young, while groups such as the Family Planning Association are trying to highlight the risks.

In the past five years, NHS figures showed that cases of chlamydia, genital warts, herpes and gonorrhoea in the over-40s are up almost 30 per cent.

One sexual-health expert said: "There's a tendency for people to think that sexual health is something that affects only young people.

"But now in society we have the situation where people over the age of 40 are coming out of long-term relationships, they are getting divorced, or maybe their partner dies.

"They then look for new relationships, but they are not remembering that the safe-sex message applies as much to them as it does to younger people."

The source added: "We need much more targeted messages about safe sex in the over-40s.

"Most of the campaigns are aimed at the younger age group, but we cannot afford to ignore older people as well."