THE NEW report from the New England Journal of Medicine detailing the sex lives of the elderly might have a big "ewwww"; factor for some people. Especially those whose image of "elderly" is a doddering, frail 90-year-old with limited, er, faculties.
That's not our image of the elderly, at least not since the AARP started stalking us through the mail a few years ago.
In fact, we're happy about the news that many people between 57 and 85 report having active sex lives, engaging in it at least two to three times a month.
For us, the "ewww"; factor comes after pondering the implications of this news. By that we mean: Geriatric STDs.
For as night follows day, isn't it safe to assume that if more elderly are having sex, more are also suffering from sexually transmitted diseases?
The Center for Disease Control says its data doesn't show an increase in STDs among the elderly, although other health experts are not so sure. Anecdotal evidence suggests that certain sex-transmitted diseases could be on the rise.
So, for all you dirty old men (and women) out there: Have fun. But be careful. *