Unprotected sex ‘common among Oz older adults’

MELBOURNE - Almost all the sexually active older adults Down Under have had unprotected sex, a new survey has revealed.

The research also showed that 56.2 per cent of the respondents had never had a test for an STI or sexually transmitted disease.

The poll showed that more than half of the people between 18 and 40 reported to have “unsafe sex”.

“The majority of safe sex campaigns are targeted at youth these days, yet this research shows that 35- to 40-year-olds are just as exposed to unsafe sex practices,” News.com.au quoted Jill Michelson, national clinical adviser for Marie Stopes International as saying.

“More needs to be done to get the message to them to stop,” she added.

When asked about having sex at least once without a condom, 93.1 per cent agreed to having unprotected sex.

Other key findings show that six in 10 of the adults who reported ever having unprotected sex said they’d since not had a STI check-up.

Almost 47.5 per cent of people aged 35 to 40 years said they were not in a monogamous relationship when they last had unprotected sex were

However, women were much more likely than men to have ever had an STI check-up - with 51 per cent of women compared to 36 per cent of men saying they’d had at least one.

“Australians just don’t seem to be getting the message (that) regular STI check-ups and condom usage are the only way to safeguard your sexual health,” said Michelson.

“STIs and unplanned pregnancy are key health issues that affect many Australians, and we’re hoping … we can raise the bar when it comes to the level of sexual health knowledge out there, and at the same time decrease the statistics,” she added. (ANI)