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According to a survey carried out on a sample of 1,500 French people aged 50 to 79, 89% of them say they are well informed about AIDS. And contrary to what one might think – being the generation that experienced the full brunt of the epidemic, in the 1980s – only 50% of them admit to “being afraid of it”.
The survey, carried out by Ifop for Sidaction, brings together 1,500 French people aged 50 to 79, representative of the French population. By choosing this age category, the study aimed to “map the love life of this specific population”.
Older French people and more as a couple!
Asked about their status, 66% of 50-79 year olds say they are in a relationship, i.e. two thirds. A big difference compared to the youngest (15-24 years old), of whom only 38% are not single.
The oldest couples are not necessarily old since if the majority (58%) say they have been in a relationship “since before their 50s”, 8% or 1.7 million people have found their other half after this age.
Less concerned by HIV-AIDS?
In a couple for longer, the 50-79 year olds seem less concerned by the issue of HIV-AIDS. Yet 72% of people in this age group report being sexually active.
But in general, there is less mistrust of the disease: only 50% say they are afraid of it, compared to 63% among the youngest. It should be noted that those most frightened by AIDS among 50-79 year olds are also the most exposed, with 58% among people who have had several sexual partners during the past year.
Less use of condoms and testing
As a logical consequence of this finding, only 24% of sexually active people in this age category have used condoms, compared to 63% among 15-24 year olds. Figures that can be explained by a longer stability in the couple, singles, non-heterosexuals and multi-partners protecting themselves more (more than one in two).
Finally, in terms of screening, only 7% of 50-79 year olds say they have been tested for HIV-AIDS, unlike 15-24 year olds who are more numerous (20%). The status (more stable and regular couple) again explains the difference: among the oldest declaring themselves to be multi-partners, the screening rate exceeds that of young people, with a rate of 28%.
The numbers to remember
- 72% of people aged 50 to 79 say they are sexually active.
- 89% of 50-79 year olds consider themselves well informed about HIV/AIDS and only one in two people say they are afraid of HIV/AIDS
- Among sexually active singles, only 13% of them had taken a screening test in the last twelve months
- 1/4 of people who have declared several partners in the last year do not use a condom
Faced with this situation, Sidaction recommends:
- To intensify information and awareness campaigns aimed at people over 50 on the diversity of means of prevention;
- To provide more HIV and other STI screening opportunities for sexually active over 50s.