In the past 20 years, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has also recorded a significant increase in syphilis cases in Germany. While 326 cases were reported among those over 60 in 2013, this number has risen to 930 cases in the same age group in 2023. He writes for the German Medical Journal. Men are mainly affected in this context.
But what is the reason for the increasing trend of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among the elderly? To date, there have been only a few studies on the sexual behavior of this age group. “But we can assume that older people are more sexually active than is generally assumed,” emphasized Julia Felzel, President of the DDG.
The 2019 Berlin Aging Study II confirms this assumption and shows that almost a third of people aged 60 to 80 are more sexually active than people aged 20 to 30. But that's exactly where the problem is, according to experts. Many older people underestimate their personal risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and thus neglect appropriate protective measures.
These are possible reasons for more sexual activity as you get older:
- Efficacy enhancers
- Availability and offers of online dating platforms
- The fear of unwanted pregnancy disappears and therefore less contraceptive methods can be used
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