While sexually transmitted diseases were once thought of as a problem in the young population, diseases such as HIV are rising at alarming rates in the middle age and elderly.  Second Opinion addresses the social, medical, physical and cultural factors that are contributing to this trend.

Older women are often overlooked in HIV prevention because it is incorrectly assumed that they no longer engage in sexual relations—though many, of course, do. But most don't realize that this activity can put them at risk of becoming infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

• Nearly 10 percent (9.5) of AIDS cases in the U.S. female population are said to be in women older than age 50; and, numbers of cases are expected to increase, as women of all ages survive longer due to improved drug therapy and other treatment advances.
  
  
• In the last decade, AIDS cases in women over 50 were reported to have tripled, while heterosexual transmission rates in this age group may have increased as much as 106 percent. But, because not all U.S. states report HIV infections, it is impossible to know how many older American women are HIV-infected, but not diagnosed with AIDS.

(Source: HIV Wisdom for Older Women)

To learn more about HIV/Aids from URMC, click here.

To learn more about STDs from MedlinePlus click here.

Read full HIV in Middle Age episode transcript