If You’re Dating, Be Careful

At any age, the dating scene can be daunting. If you are a single senior, by now you have learned a great deal about people, and it might be easier for you. You are more accepting of your own idiosyncrasies and those of others. There is, however, one area you might be overlooking. Did you know that sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates have risen sharply among seniors?

The CDC’s latest statistics show that STDs that have skyrocketed since 2000 and are infecting people aged 55 and older at an alarming rate. In 2022, there were 19,766 Chlamydia cases among Americans aged 55 and older, 5,160 reported cases of Syphilis, 1,041 cases of Hepatitis C and 18,804 of Gonorrhea.  According to CDC charts, the state with the highest HIV diagnoses among seniors in 2021 was Florida with 585 cases, but California followed with 453 cases.

Experts believe STD cases among older Americans may be higher because of the sex education they received, or did not get, as adolescents. In an interview with NBC News, Texas A&M professor Matthew Lee Smith claimed that STD cases in seniors may be influenced by how they were taught. “Back in the ’30s, the ’40s, the ’50s, traditional school wasn’t really doing sexual education.”

We are, however, social animals. Having a close, loving relationship has been shown to be a key influencer in happiness among seniors and a primary factor of overall physical and cognitive health. Practicing safe sex is important, but it is not a conversation most seniors are comfortable having with their children or even most friends. If you are dating though, and intend to take things to an intimate level, before you do, please find someone you can trust (like your primary care physician or a close confidant) and have “the talk.” Here is wishing you a fun, fulfilling and safe dating experience.