STD Symptoms Even Older People Should Never Ignore Javascript must be enabled to use this site. Please enable Javascript in your browser and try again. × Search search POPULAR SEARCHES SUGGESTED LINKS Join AARP for just $9 per year when you sign up for a 5-year term. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Leaving AARP.org Website You are now leaving AARP.org and going to a website that is not operated by AARP. A different privacy policy and terms of service will apply.
STD Symptoms You Should Never Ignore
Rates of sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea and chlamydia have more than doubled in older adults Here s how to protect yourself
ADragan/Getty Images After a certain age, it's easy to dismiss sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) as something you don't have to worry about. But experts note that anyone, at any age, can contract such an infection, and rates of STDs among adults age 65 and older have more than doubled over the past decade, according to the . That's partly because older adults are living longer and enjoying active sex lives, thanks to medications for and . They are also less likely than people in many other age groups to use a condom, in part because they aren't concerned about pregnancies. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. "Older Americans get lulled into a false sense of low risk,” says Sten Vermund, M.D., dean of the Yale School of Public Health and coauthor of a 2021 report on STDs for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. “They think, I'm a grandfather or grandmother – how can I be at risk of a sexually transmitted infection?” But if you are having sex with a new partner or outside of a monogamous relationship, you are at risk, he says. Monica Christmas, M.D., director of the Center for Women's Integrated Health at the University of Chicago, says her older patients are often shocked when they are diagnosed with an STD. "They say, ‘But this is the only person that I'm seeing,’ “ she says. “They make assumptions that they are the only person their partner is with, but they're not having those conversations. We are really impressing on them that condom use is so important, even though you can't get pregnant.” Many STDs carry health risks without early signs
Another problem: Health care providers tend not to ask their older patients about their sex lives, so they don't always get screened for STDs, says Michigan geriatrician Gwendolyn Graddy, M.D. "Often, as physicians, we don't equate our older adults with being sexually active, and we may not be looking for the signs and symptoms of STDs, because it's not first thing on our minds,” Graddy explains. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. , increased , and cardiovascular and neurological problems. You can also end up unknowingly sharing the infection with an unsuspecting partner. Entertainment $3 off popcorn and soft drink combos See more Entertainment offers > That's why doctors recommend that if you enter a new relationship, you get tested for sexually transmitted infections and ask your partner to do the same — whether or not you or your partner has symptoms. Here are six of the most common signs of sexually transmitted infections according to our experts. If you have any of these, see your health care provider and ask to be screened. 1 Bumps or sores
If you notice a bump, sore, wart or blister on or near your genitals, that's cause for concern, even if it disappears without treatment. Syphilis can cause a firm, painless sore or multiple sores where the disease enters your body, and herpes produces painful, bubblelike blisters. Chancroids and HPV can also cause bumps in the genital area. If you engage in oral or anal sex, STDs can cause bumps and blisters on your lips, inside your mouth or around your anus. 2 Unusual discharge
Discharge from the genitals is often a sign of STDs such as gonorrhea, chlamydia and trichomoniasis. For men, any type of penile drip or oozing is not normal and should be a red flag, Vermund says. Discharge is more common in women, but they should see a health care provider if they notice any abnormal discharge, particularly if it has an odor or a green or yellow tint. AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. . Michelle Crouch is a contributing writer who has covered health and personal finance for some of the nation's top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in Reader's Digest, Real Simple, Prevention, The Washington Post and The New York Times. More on health AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS