The American Medical Association (AMA) recently highlighted in a news article the increase in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adults 65 and older, noting that the prevalence has more than doubled in the past 10 years. Specifically, “for those aged 65 and older, chlamydia cases more than tripled between 2010 and 2023, gonorrhea cases increased sixfold, and syphilis cases soared in numbers nearly tenfold,” AMA trustee Sandra Admason Fryhofer, MD, said in the article.

Factors such as low condom use and lack of knowledge about STIs are said to be driving the increases.

The article offers advice on what physicians should ask their patients about their sexual history, partners, practices and use of protection. That information can also be used by friends, caregivers, and others who are in contact with the estimated 40% of people ages 65-80 who are sexually active. Extensive information on STIs is also available in the downloadable screening toolkit.

To read the full article, click here

To download the AMA’s STI screening toolkit, click here