Do you swing? Swinger? Over 45 and swinging? Oh…then you’d better swing wisely…’cus I got some not so swinging news for you: Aging swingers are at a heightened risk for STDs.
According to a recent Dutch study, swingers in general, but especially the older set, pick up sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) at a greater rate than heterosexual non-swingers, teens or gay/bisexual men (the latter two considered high risk groups). The study looked at data collected on nearly 9,000 patient visits at three sexual health/STD clinics in 2007 and 2008. Approximately 12% of those visits were reported to be by swingers–heterosexual people that engage in wife swapping or that frequent sex clubs for couples.
About 55% of all chlamydia and gonorrhea cases diagnosed in the study were in swingers, compared for instance to 31% in gay men. One in every ten swingers tested positive for chlamydia, while one in twenty tested positive for gonorrhea. Bummer.
And as the swingers aged, their incidences of STDs also increased. 10.4% of the male swingers over age 45 had chlamydia and/or gonorrhea, compared to only 2.4% of other male heterosexuals; while 18 % of female swingers over 45 had chlamydia, compared to 4% of other heterosexual women, and less than 3% of prostitutes.
Wait…what? That’s right, prostitutes had lower incidences of STDs than did swingers. Doh!
OK, ok…too obvious: Hookers use condoms…swingers don’t. Not smart swinging, if you ask me.
Listen, if you’re gonna swing, would it hurt to bring a few rubbers? I know, I know…but maybe others will catch on. Why, you could be a swinging STD activist. Yes, I can see it now, the swinger that brings responsible behavior to the orgy. A little square, yes–but safe, no doubt. And better to be safe swinging than urine stinging, I always say. So go ahead, buck convention. Wear condoms—they work.