Viagra-popping seniors lead the pack for STDs

[VegasLee]

Viagra-popping seniors lead the pack for STDs

In fact, they report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in older men taking erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra is twice as high as in their non-medicated peers.

[SW_PA_Couple]

Hey, a person might just start thinking, well, I ain't got that much longer anyway. If an STD don't get me, somethin' will.

[Chicup]

Senior is a bit of a attention getter as they did men over 40.

Plus its most likely a somewhat biased study. Men on Viagra by default would be getting some so to speak, or there isn't much value in taking it. I'm also going to just guess that Viagra is more used in the divorced crowd, which again, will have a greater chance of picking up an STD.

Basically its a study about lifestyle and nothing to do with Viagra.

[two4youinswva]

Among the few percent of men who had filled prescriptions for erectile dysfunction drugs, more than two in a thousand had been treated for an STD in the year before they got the drug.

A year later, the number dropped to half that, suggesting that Viagra and its chemical cousins didn't fuel STDs.

OK, what am I missing here? Been a long day, and my comprehension isn't the best right now.

[Alura]

My guess is that Chicup is right. Guys who have a need for viagra are more sexually active.

If you ain't gettin' some, you ain't needin' none.

Alura

[slevin]

Originally Posted by two4youinswva

Among the few percent of men who had filled prescriptions for erectile dysfunction drugs, more than two in a thousand had been treated for an STD in the year before they got the drug.

A year later, the number dropped to half that, suggesting that Viagra and its chemical cousins didn't fuel STDs.

OK, what am I missing here? Been a long day, and my comprehension isn't the best right now.

That confused me as well. I think it's just a poorly written article. The sentence after your quote just adds to the confusion for me:

However, the risk of contracting an STD turned out to be more than twice as high in men taking erectile dysfunction drugs compared with those who didn't.

So the rates of STDs for people taking viagra dropped, but this means that even though it dropped by half, it's still far higher than those not taking viagra? The point was poorly explained.

I also think the writer made a bad choice of words in another section:

The problem, however, is that older adults appear to flaunt safe sex practices. For instance, the researchers note, 50-year-olds are six times less likely to use a condom than men in their 20s.

As far as I know, to flaunt is to show something off. So if I said that someone flaunted safe sex practices then wouldn't they be showing off their safe sex practices? And I just looked it up; apparently it's an acceptable practice, although one likely stemming from confusion with the word 'flout'. Bad choice for a writer though I think. Most are going to be confused by the seemingly inappropriate usage.

[Fundamental Law]

Here's the abstract. PM me if you want to see the full report.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Among Users of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs: Analysis of Claims Data

1. Anupam B. Jena, MD, PhD;
2. Dana P. Goldman, PhD;
3. Amee Kamdar, PhD;
4. Darius N. Lakdawalla, PhD; and
5. Yang Lu, PhD

+ Author Affiliations

1.
From Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; University of Chicago Booth Graduate School of Business, Chicago, Illinois; and RAND, Santa Monica, California.

Abstract

Background: Pharmacologic treatments for erectile dysfunction (ED) have gained popularity among middle-aged and older men. Increased sexual activity among those who use these drugs raises concerns about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

Objective: To examine the rates of STDs in men who use and do not use ED drugs.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Database of claims from 1997 to 2006 for 1 410 806 men older than age 40 years with private, employer-based insurance from 44 large companies.

Patients: 33 968 men with at least 1 filled prescription for an ED drug and 1 376 838 patients with no prescription.

Measurements: STD prevalence among users and nonusers of ED drugs.

Results: Users of ED drugs had higher rates of STDs than nonusers the year before initiating ED drug therapy (214 vs. 106 annually per 100 000 persons; P = 0.003) and the year after (105 vs. 65; P = 0.004). After adjustment for age and other comorbid conditions, users of ED drugs had an odds ratio (OR) for an STD of 2.80 (95% CI, 2.10 to 3.75) in the year before initiating drug therapy; the OR was 2.65 (CI, 1.84 to 3.81) in the year after. These differences were largely due to infections with HIV. The OR for HIV infection was 3.32 (CI, 2.38 to 4.36) in the year before and 3.19 (CI, 2.11 to 4.83) in the year after an ED drug prescription was filled. Significant changes in STD rates from the year before to the year after the first ED drug prescription was filled were not documented (adjusted OR for STD for users before vs. after the first ED drug prescription was filled, 0.96 [CI, 0.87 to 1.06]).

Limitation: Selection bias precludes conclusions about whether use of ED treatments directly leads to increases in STDs.

Conclusion: Men who use ED drugs have higher rates of STDs, particularly HIV infection, both in the year before and after use of these drugs. The observed association between ED drug use and STDs may have more to do with the types of patients using ED drugs rather than a direct effect of ED drug availability on STD rates. Counseling about safe sexual practices and screening for STDs should accompany the prescription of ED drugs.

[slevin]

Thanks for the abstract, much easier to decipher the high-level points. The interesting thing to me was that HIV was one of the main STDs involved. I wouldn't have expected it to be as prevalent as it was.

[two4youinswva]

Originally Posted by Fundamental Law

Here's the abstract...............

Thanks for the assist!

[Chicup]

This just seems like a 'duh' type of study.

Men getting laid have a greater chance of catching an STD, news at 11.

[The Fuse]

Yeah, I know, right? If you don't have sex you have practically no chance of getting an STD. If you have sex, you do have that chance. Seniors are more likely to use Viagra to help extend their sex lives....

To echo, "duh".

[VegasLee]

Originally Posted by Chicup

This just seems like a 'duh' type of study.

Men getting laid have a greater chance of catching an STD, news at 11.

Best post and conclusion yet!

Maybe someone would want to use that theroy when making up the "Sex Ratings" of people. You have sex, high risk, you don't have sex, low risk!

[Fundamental Law]

One of the problems of retrospective studies is that they can only suggest hypotheses, they can never prove them. Moreover, this study was performed using administrative databases compiled for different purposes. The observation that patients who went on to obtain a viagra prescription were sexually active before and after that prescription should not be surprising. The observation that sexual activity is associated with STDs is also not surprising.

An important question arises: these are administrative data collected a decade ago. Today, what are the relative and absolute risks for getting HIV for middle aged and senior Americans who are not monogamous?

[fun4Ds]

In fact, they report in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the rate of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in older men taking erectile dysfunction drugs like Viagra is twice as high as in their non-medicated peers.

In both groups, however, the numbers are swelling. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were more than six new cases of STDs per 10,000 men over 40 in 2008, up almost 50 percent since 1996.

So there were 3 in 10,000 before and then 6 new cases in 10,000 after Viagra came out. Thats not exactly alarming, or surprising....

Yea, a "duh" (more sex equals higher risk) from your village idiot also.


I wonder if they are suing Viagra ? It wouldn't surprise me these days.


fun4ds

[celtic239]

I have a different take on this article. There was no mention of the sexual orientation of the men over 40 that use ED medication. I have been working with criminal offenders both straight and "gay" for several years. I understand that many homosexuals use viagra and crystal meth or crack in order to party "all night long". This many have led to the increase in AIDS cases. I do remember an article last year concerning an increase in STD's at the retirement complex in Florida called the Villages but nothing was mentioned about an increase in AIDS cases.