Baby Boomers, Sex and HIV

Sex at midlife and beyond is becoming a more common topic including best selling books and numerous newspaper articles. With people living longer and more unmarried adults than anytime in history, it should not be surprising that we are seeing an increase in boomers being subjected to the risks associated with unprotected sexual activity. The LA Times examines one of these risks, HIV/AIDS.

AIDS might seem like an unnecessary topic for a generation that grew up with the ideal of being a virgin on one's wedding night. However medical experts increasingly agree that baby boomers and older Americans are one of the more vulnerable population segments.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, between 1996 and 2000 nearly as many older adults were diagnosed with AIDS as those diagnosed in their twenties. More recently the CDC reported that people 45, 50 and older are "experiencing staggering increases in STD transmission, particularly in women and that people in their 40’s contract STD’s at twice the rate of people in their 20’s." In 2003 alone, the CDC noted that there were 315,509 AIDS cases in people over 45 representing thirty percent of total cases.

Complicating matters is the fact that many older Americans are uncomfortable talking about sex with their doctors. And, according to a recent study backed by the National Institutes of Health, doctors are equally uncomfortable with the topic. Said one professional, "Nobody wants to discuss the sexual habits of older people." Other factors driving the risk of HIV and other STDs in older Americans include people are living longer, the introduction of erectile dysfunction drugs & hormone therapies, and finally that prevention efforts generally skip over older Americans.

The risks are real. Case in point is this woman infected with HIV:

"I remained monogamous for 23 years of marriage. . . . After the divorce, I didn't consider myself promiscuous. I didn't frequent the singles bars. I went out with men my age who, like me, had been married and were divorced."

Another example was a retired teacher who had been through menopause and said she never thought of using a condom because she was not concerned about getting pregnant. Contracting HIV wasn't a concern until it was too late.

Experts believe that older women, in particular, are vulnerable to HIV infection due to physiological factors manifesting as women age. These changes include reduced vaginal lubrication in menopause and thinning of the vaginal walls, which can lead to abrasions and tears during unprotected sex increasing the risk of HIV transmission.