Great sex doesn't have to be 'risky sex': AIDS committee
Over 50 set targeted by advocacy group on World AIDS Day
The executive director of the AIDS Committee of Newfoundland and Labrador says people over 50 need to educate themselves about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and get tested.
Gerard Yetman said STIs have increased in this province over the past two years. He said the education campaign is not condemning people for how they live.
"Enjoy sex, but know how to protect yourself," said Yetman.
Sexual health manual for over 50s
Yetman said a sexual health manual titled, "Best Sex in Years: Sex Over 50" is aimed at helping older people enjoy healthy sex lives but to be aware of the risks.
The manual was produced by ACNL and the province's Seniors Resource Centre and will be distributed at seniors centres and online.
"A woman goes through menopause and she doesn't worry about getting pregnant any more," said Mary Ennis with the Seniors Resource Centre. "That's a real breeding ground for unprotected sex."
HIV infections in older Canadians are up by 18 per cent, and Yetman said testing shows this province is in line with that trend.
He said a lot of people in the age group don't think about STIs because they were raising families when the AIDS scare unfolded in the 1980s.
"A lot of people think there's a cure, but it's a treatment," said Yetman. "Snowbirds, for example, are going south and engaging in relations while travelling — the single, older person's lifestyle."
Statistics obtained from Eastern Health show seven new HIV cases in the region to date this year, compared to 11 in 2015.
Enjoy sex but know how to protect yourself.- Gerard Yetman, ACNL
Yetman said until about 2013 this province saw three new HIV infections a year, so these numbers are disturbing.
Infectious syphilis cases total 17 so far in 2016, compared with 32 cases in 2015.
25% of HIV cases also have syphilis
In approximately 25 per cent of the syphilis cases, the individuals are also infected with HIV. The ages of those cases range from 19-63.
"Of those who tested positive for HIV, 30 to 40 percent were aged 43 to 63 years old," said Yetman.
The pop-up testing campaign targeted gay men with banner ads on online dating sites Grinder and Manhunt, in addition to placing ads in gyms.
"Most people are hooking up online and not going out to clubs to hook up anymore," said Yetman. "And a lot of people hook up in gyms."
More testing needed across province
Equally worrying to Yetman is the low rate of HIV testing because there is no communicable disease clinic outside St. John's.
Yetman says the ACNL's goal is to get doctors to make HIV testing part of their patients' annual physical exam.
Dr. Debbie Kelly, a researcher at Memorial University's School of Pharmacy, is involved in a research project that will initially offer rapid HIV screening at two pharmacies in this province and in Alberta.
"Alberta has come on board in partnership with us to look at whether we can make HIV testing more accessible, and find out if we can do a better job of identifying people who are at risk of HIV infection," said Kelly.
The screening test will use a finger prick blood sample. If the test comes back showing the person is carrying the antibodies for HIV, Kelly says they should then get the standard HIV test.
In February, in response to the syphilis outbreak, Eastern Health along with a number of partners held 13 testing clinics in 10 communities across the region.
Of the 212 people tested, no syphilis was detected, although 10 per cent tested positive for STIs such as chlamydia, gonorrhea and hepatitis B and C.
- HIV rates by province can be found here:
With files from Mark Quinn