Swingers at Higher Risk of Catching STD

Dutch researchers have warned that older adults who participate in swinging are at

a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections than prostitutes.

The team behind the research, which has been published in the British Medical Journal, say that the swinger population worldwide is in the millions but that they are frequently overlooked by sexual health services as being an at-risk group for infections like chlamydia and gonorrhoea.

Scientists from Maastricht University tracked patients of three GUM clinics in the South Limberg area of the Netherlands between 2007 and 2008. All the clinics recorded whether patients were swingers', meaning that they were part of a straight couple who regularly swapped partners or took part in organised group sex at meetings.

1 in 9 of every patient attending the clinic described themselves as a swinger, with the average age of those participating in group sex being 43. The team discovered that combined rates of chlamydia and gonorrhoea were at 10.4% amongst swingers, making them the second most at risk group, after gay men.

There was surprise that amongst the different groups visiting a GUM clinic for STD testing, prostitutes were the least likely to have a positive gonorrrhoea test or be diagnosed with another STD, perhaps because they are especially meticulous about using condoms.

1 in 10 older swingers had a positive chlamydia test while 1 in 20 had a positive gonorrhoea test. The researchers warned that while other at-risk groups, such as the under-25s, gay men and sex workers were fairly easy to target to encourage STD testing, the swinger community was generally hidden and hard to reach.

Often, chlamydia and gonorrhoea are asymptomatic, so having a chlamydia test or a gonorrhoea test is the only way someone can know if they are infected. While education programs and advertising campaigns have ensured that young adults are fairly aware of the risks of sexually transmitted infections, health professionals have warned that the over-40s are not being made aware of the dangers of STIs.

Anne-Marie Niekamp, who lead the study, said of the group, "Because they are so hidden and in some ways also stigmatized, it is hard for them to come forward for STI testing and treatment."

She believes that many more people, especially in their forties and over, are engaging in the practice that is generally known. "Although exact estimates are unavailable, the swingers' population is probably large" she said, warning that this group can act as a transmission bridge "to the entire population."

Swingers at Higher Risk of Catching STD

By: Jenny Williams

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