STDs On The Rise For Older Generation

Whatever the cause -- Viagra, mid-life divorce, online dating or simple ignorance -- studies suggest that STDs are no longer just an affliction of the young. A study published last week online by the journal Sexually Transmitted Infections adds to that growing body of evidence. Researchers at England's West Midlands Health Protection Agency found that in less than a decade, STD rates had more than doubled among people ages 45 and older. And Dr. Babatunde Olowokure, an author of the study, thinks that figure may be low. "These observations are based on a small proportion of people who actually attend clinics," he says. While that proportion of the population has increased overall over the past decade, Olowokure points out that middle-aged and older people tend to delay visiting a doctor for treatment of an STD, or avoid it altogether, in large part due to the stigma associated with sexually transmitted infections.

Keep reading.