Condom Use & Middle-Aged Women

Why should we even study middle-aged and older women¿s condom use? Several reasons exist: First, more than 25% of those who have been diagnosed with HIV are over the age of 50. This in itself should be a call for researchers to study condom use in middle-aged and older adults. Secondly, older adults have an accelerated progression from HIV to AIDS, with the average time from diagnosis to death at 4 years. Third, marital disruption, whether through death or divorce brings about a need for more information as to not only how to approach the dating scene in middle-age but also to receive STI/HIV prevention information. Widowhood and STI risk have been investigated and the findings indicated that in fact widowhood was associated with an increased risk of STI diagnosis, particularly after Viagra came onto the market.