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| Wednesday, 19 July 2006 08:31 | | BNN: British Nursing News Online · www.bnn-online.co.uk
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Health Protection Scotland (HPS) have reported that the number of over-50s contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases has more than trebled in the last five years.
HPS found infections such as chlamydia and herpes among senior citizens are among the most rapidly rising in Scotland.
Health workers are concerned that older couples are not heeding the safe sex message.
The rise in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) has been put down, in part, to the increasing numbers of older people beginning new sexual relationships following a divorce or the death of a partner.
Health workers claim that, as this age group is unlikely to have received sex education, many are having unprotected intercourse unaware of the dangers.
Figures show that the number of HIV cases among over-50s have trebled from 0.7 to 2.2 per cent of those tested in the last five years. In over-60s, the figure jumped from 0.6 to 1.6 per cent.
Chlamydia leapt from 43 in 2000 to 91 in 2005. And reported cases of herpes trebled from 32 to 107 during the same period. Sexual health consultant Dr Ruth Holman said evidence showed older people were swapping partners more than ever.
Dr Holman, of NHS Ayrshire and Arran, said: "You hear about swingers and about women going abroad to pick up men.
"These things would not have happened a few years ago.
"Also people are more frequently having relationships at older ages with more partners and more sexual experimentation”.
But she warned over-50s needed to be taught more about safe sex.
She said: "In the past, the assumption was that if you are over 50, then you are definitely not having sex”.
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