Just because you get older, it doesn’t mean you can be careless about your choice of sexual partners. For those over 60 years of age, you want to do your part to protect yourself. Both men and women need to take the responsibility for having condoms readily available. While they risk of pregnancy is likely in the past, the risk of sexually transmitted diseases is not.
Most individuals over the age of 60 aren’t out hooking up with new partners every weekend. Yet the biggest concern should be the people they have been with in the past. They may have been exposed to a sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV from a partner they were once with. They aren’t able to share that information with you as they don’t know it themselves. That is just too big of a risk to take.
Should you decide to be part of a committed relationship when you are over 60 with one partner, that is great. You both should be tested for sexually transmitted diseases though. The time frame for additional testing will depend on how much time has passed since each of you has been with someone else. Your medical professionals can provide all of that information for you.
Only after you get go ahead for the doctor can you stop using protection with that partner. You need to decide on the level of trust you have with that person though. Infidelity is a common issue in our society for people of all ages, not just over 60. If you are worried in the least that you may be exposed to anything due to that issue you need to continue using protection.
It is very naïve to assume that because you aren’t a spring chicken anymore that you don’t have to worry about the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. There is no discrimination from them based upon your age. Approximately 20% of the population that has tested positive for HIV is over 60 years of age. In at least half of the cases it is believed that they were exposed to the virus by engaging in unprotected sex after the age of 60.
Some individuals of this age group feel it is disrespectful to bring up the use of condoms. They don’t want to offend potential partners so they don’t even bring it up. Yet if you aren’t able to discuss the issue of safe sex with someone you plan to be intimate with then it is best to avoid such activity with them all together.
Others simply don’t realize they are still at risk at their age. There has been a great deal of information and education offered on the topic in the last 20 years. This was implemented as the number of individuals over 60 years of age with sexually transmitted diseases was on the rise for several years in a row.
The highest rate of sexually transmitted diseases among adults of this age group is found in male to male relationships. However, those that involve two females or one male and one female are also at risk too. There has been a myth in society that doesn’t seem to go away that only homosexual males are at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease in their older years. Everyone is at risk and so you should assume that anyone you are going to have sex with could possible have such infections to pass on to you. Some of them may know about it but others don’t and you need to not take such a risk.
When you are in your 60’s, you still have plenty of life ahead of you to enjoy. A healthy sex life should be a an enjoyable part of that life. However, you do need to be very realistic about the risk of sexually transmitted diseases. You don’t want to have something like that affect the quality of the remainder of life you have in front of you.
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