When Sexual Health Is a Forbidden Phrase

Society’s squeamishness about older people’s sex lives is driving a rise in sexually transmitted infections among over-45s, according to a new survey spanning the UK, Belgium, and the Netherlands, CNN reports.
 
While sexual behavior among older people has changed in recent decades, the risk of STIs was a back-burner issue for many.
  

Among the general population and socioeconomically disadvantaged people, more than half of respondents had never been tested for an STI.
 
Why?

• Many said they were monogamous or didn’t believe they weren’t at risk of getting pregnant.

• Stigma and shame were a major barrier to seeking services. 

Meanwhile, California doctors are warning of a rare spike in cases of gonorrhea, a very treatable disease but one that can cause permanent complications if not addressed, San Francisco Chronicle reports.