A fair amount of sexually active people in their teens, 20s, and 30s have had their share of gonorrhea symptoms. But according to a report just published by the British Medical Journal, adults aged 50 to 90 are apparently growing increasingly familiar with gonorrhea symptoms due to first-hand experience. With the advent of online dating, it seems as though older people looking to stay sexually active are doing a great job at getting their fill. But when it comes to the use of protection, these folks still have a thing or two to learn.
Part of the problem is that older people don’t tend to consider themselves vulnerable to STDs, and STD testing really isn’t something that’s talked about in retirement communities. In fact, many people in this age group have never had an STD test—though the sudden appearance of gonorrhea symptoms could change that in an instant. Anyone who has unprotected sex is at risk for gonorrhea, symptoms and all, and only a gonorrhea test can definitively pinpoint infection. And when it comes to gonorrhea symptoms, once thing’s for sure: They’re an unwelcome surprise at any age.
