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    'Too many' over 50s having unsafe sex

    Posted on 31/01/2008

    An increasing number of over-50s are putting themselves at risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) by having unprotected sex, according to new research.

    More than 10% of respondents to a Saga Magazine survey admitted that they had had sex without using a condom, despite not knowing their partner's sexual history.

    'There is a wide perception that STIs are an issue for the young,' Saga's editor Emma Soames told BBC News. 'And also because over-50s don't need contraception to prevent pregnancy, they feel it is fine to have unprotected sex.'

    Saga questioned almost 8,000 people aged 50 and over. It found that 65% of over-50s are sexually active, with 50% of those having sex at least once a week.

    Some 70% said that they found sex more fulfilling than when they were younger, although 84% admitted that they were having sex less often than in their 20s and 30s.

    Ms Soames said: 'It's great people are going on having sex and there is no doubt Viagra has a role to play. Sexual-performance-enhancing drugs are now part of the landscape and prolong the active sex lives of many couples.'

    The Health Protection Agency (HPA) responded to the survey by encouraging older people to behave responsibly.

    Gwenda Hughes, STI section head at the HPI Centre for Infections, said: 'If you are having sex with a new partner and don't use a condom, you can catch an STI, no matter what your age.'

    'If people have put themselves at risk they should get tested, even if they don't have the symptoms.'



    Category: Healthy Lifestyle


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