Sexuality and Sexually Transmitted Diseases in Older Men Attending the Genito-Urinary Clinic in Birmingham

Abstract

EIGHTY-SEVEN men aged 60 years and over who attended the sole genito-urinary clinic in Birmingham during the year 1989 had their records reviewed. Sixty-five (75%) were sexually active and the most frequent complaints were penile soreness and urethral discharge. Nineteen patients had positive serological tests for syphilis (TPHA) and two men, both homosexuals, had positive hepatitis (HBA2) serology. In this age group, compared to a Caucasian, an Afro-Caribbean man had an Odds Ratio of 4.68 of having a positive serological test for syphilis. Two patients had psychosexual problems and one genital ulcer was squamous cell carcinoma of the penis. The men with multiple sexual partners were more likely to have a past history of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) (p<0.05).

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