Sexual health clinic treating Islanders in their seventies

Debbie Archer, who works at the Island’s Genito Urinary Medicine clinic, says that older people are more likely to be ‘blinkered’ towards sexually transmitted infections and that she has been treating Islanders in their seventies with infections such as chlamydia and genital warts.

Last year the Island’s Genito Urinary Medicine clinic saw nearly 2,800 people and Miss Archer said the numbers rise by roughly ten per cent every year.

‘Things like viagra, hormone replacement therapy [which increases oestrogen making sex less painful], the internet, the fact people are living longer and travelling more have all contributed to us seeing more mature people,’ Miss Archer said.

‘There are lots of reasons why people are changing their sexual partners later in life. Sexual infections affect anybody no matter what their age. People tend to think it’s an age thing but it’s not, it’s a sex thing.

‘Post-menopausal women are more likely to think they are no longer at risk of pregnancy but don’t always think of the risk of STIs. People coming out of a long-term relationship tend to look at their own age group and presume their new partner has had a similar sex life to them – but that is not always the case. Mature people often tend to be more blinkered.’

The clinic classes anyone over the age of 25 as mature. But Miss Archer added that no-one, no matter what age, should be embarrassed about getting checked.

‘Sex is normal – people go and have heart checks and diabetic checks so they should be going and having their sexual health checked,’ Miss Archer said.

Rates of infection are lower in Jersey than the UK and the most common infections are chlamydia, genital warts and herpes – which is attributed to a rise in the number of people shaving and waxing their pubic area.

Cases of gonorrhoea in Jersey are also rising, which Miss Archer says is due to people travelling outside the Island and bringing it back with them, especially during the summer months.

This month Public Health England launched a new campaign to encourage more under-25s to use condoms to prevent STIs spreading.

Miss Archer said: ‘We don’t keep records of how many people wear condoms during sex but I would say at least half the people we see under 25 say they didn’t use one.

‘We know that alcohol is a big offender and we ask about alcohol intake in the general consultation. People often say they were drunk.’

Brook Jersey, which offers sexual health advice to those under the age of 21, see about 400 people per month. Dr Janet Campbell, from the service, said the majority of people they see use condoms.

She said: ‘There is probably a lack of knowledge around condoms but we strongly encourage everyone we see to use condoms because they are the best protection against infection.

‘A large number of people we see are using them and we are happy about that. It’s usually unexpected sex that causes the problem.’

However, she added: ‘I think the sex education in schools could be better. We do talks when we can and when we are invited but often it’s to 15- and 16-year-olds when they have read it all on the internet – and the internet is not always a reliable source of information.’

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