SPECIAL FROM Next Avenue
By Sue Campbell
If anyone wonders whether boomers still have sex, the resounding answer is yes. And with sex comes the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
The first deep study on whether or not midlifers are sexually active, and to what degree, came out in 2007. It showed that three-quarters of those 57 to 64 had active sex lives. The healthiest in that age range had even more sex. More research followed soon after, showing a rise in the number of STDs in adults over 50.
Now it seems business has caught up with human behavior. A new commercial from Trojan directly targets boomers:
- 15,600 cases of gonorrhea
- 3,000 cases of syphilis
- 25,000 cases of chlamydia
Boomers may be more at risk simply because there are more of us, as a New York Times article recently pointed out. (And, for the record, younger people face the greatest risks.) The Times also reported on the trend of unsafe sex happening in retirement communities, assisted living facilities and nursing homes. The risk is there, too, for those who uncouple and begin dating again.
As the Trojan ad conveys, we may not have to worry about pregnancy, but that doesn’t make sex risk-free. It may be at the forefront of more safe-sex ads targeting our generation.
Read more from Next Avenue:
The Fiftysomething Diet
6 Symptoms Mistakenly Blamed on Aging
Secrets of the World's Oldest People
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