Getty Images
STD rates among seniors increased 23.8% from 2020 to 2023
FAIR Health estimates that while overall STD diagnoses increased 4.8% from 2020 to 2023, rates among seniors increased 23.8%.
On July 8, 2024, FAIR Health released new data on sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates across the United States to Axios, revealing that STD rates among seniors have increased drastically from 2020 to 2023. While STD rates across all age groups only increased by 4.8%, rates among seniors increased by 23.8%.
An analysis of multiple age groups revealed that STD rates among pediatric patients (0–18 years) and 19–24-year-olds declined by 3.8% and 6.6%, respectively. However, rates across all other age groups increased.
For example, the 25–34 age group saw a 3.3% increase in STDs, while the 35–44 group saw an 8.6% increase. A 7.6% increase in STD rates was observed in the 45–54 group. That increase more than doubled to 16.2% in the 55–64 group.
A closer look at STD rates indicated that the fastest-growing STD diagnoses were syphilis, gonorrhea, and HIV/AIDs. HIV/AIDs increased by 14.1% between 2020 and 2023.
Syphilis rates increased the most (29.4% from 2020 to 2023. Additionally, FAIR Health found that syphilis rates increased by 46.5% among females and 22.9% among males, indicating a gender difference.
Gonorrhea rates increased by 16.8% at the same time; however, while rates among women declined by 19.3%, rates among men increased by 59.2%
Additionally, the data also showed how rates of human papillomavirus (HPV) changed across different age groups, excluding the 0–18 group. One positive is that rates declined in the 19–24 and the 25–34 brackets by 18.2% and 0.9%, respectively. However, HPV rates increased across all the remaining groups. Individuals aged 35–44 saw a 3.6% increase in HPV rates, while those aged 45–54 saw an 11.3% increase. The most significant increases were in adults 55–64 and those 65 and older, with a 21.9% and 32.2% increase, respectively.
These rising rates present a challenge despite the availability of STD prevention tools. For example, many STDs can be prevented through forms of birth control that provide a barrier, such as condoms. Additionally, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can be used to avoid HIV and AIDs in at-risk individuals. Furthermore, HPV vaccines are available for preventing HPV.
This data indicates that STD prevention efforts may need to focus on older populations that have seen more prominent increases in STD rates.
