Data from the Centers for Diseases Control (CDC) for the period 2012-2022 show a significant increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs), specifically chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis among older adults (i.e., ages 55+). In fact, the infection rate in the United States has increased more than 50% in this age group over the ten-year period.
There are myriad factors related to this significant increase in STIs in the older adult population. In a recent NBC News interview, Dr. Ethan Morgan, assistant professor, College of Nursing and IDI Discovery Theme faculty member, whose research focus includes HIV and sexually transmitted infections, commented, “The immune system is weaker, so you can get an infection easier, but there’s other physical things related to just sexual intimacy that make one more susceptible.” Among women who are postmenopausal, for instance, the vaginal lining is more prone to tearing, which makes it easier for an infection to occur.