Guide
Sexual Health Over 60: Stay Safe, Stay Saucy
STIs don't check birth certificates. How to get a free NHS test, where to find free condoms, and how to raise it all without spoiling the mood.
Do STIs Really Affect People Over 60?
Yes, and the figure is climbing. In England, new STI diagnoses among people aged 65 and over rose from 3,112 in 2024 to 3,608 in 2025, says the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). The good news: the NHS says sexual health clinics are free and available to everyone, whatever your age.
If the last time you thought hard about condoms was to avoid a pregnancy, it's worth thinking again. Protection is about infections too, and those aren't fussy about age. This guide is written for adults (18+) who want their fun without any unwelcome souvenirs.
Which STIs Are Turning Up After 65?
UKHSA's figures covering people aged 65 and over in England show a rise in each of the five infections below between 2024 and 2025.
| Infection | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Chlamydia | 765 | 881 |
| Gonorrhoea | 624 | 709 |
| Genital warts (first episode) | 510 | 580 |
| Genital herpes (first episode) | 375 | 501 |
| Syphilis (primary, secondary and early latent) | 258 | 269 |
| All new STI diagnoses | 3,112 | 3,608 |
For scale, UKHSA recorded 334,151 new diagnoses across all ages in England in 2025. The rate among the over 65s is far lower: 32.9 per 100,000 in 2025, against 570.0 per 100,000 for all ages.
Men account for most of them. Of the 2025 diagnoses among over 65s, UKHSA counted 2,771 among men and 636 among women.
UKHSA's "65 and over" group covers ages 65 to 99, and its figures count diagnoses rather than people.
How to Get an STI Test on the NHS
- Find a clinic. The NHS website has a clinic finder on its sexual health pages. In Scotland, NHS inform's guide to visiting a sexual health service says all these services are free of charge.
- Check before you go. The NHS says you don't usually need a GP referral or an appointment, but to contact the clinic first to check.
- Visit, or test at home. The NHS says some clinics offer home testing kits for some STIs. In Scotland, NHS inform says kits can be posted free of charge to your home, though self-sampling isn't yet available in every health board.
- Relax about privacy. The NHS says no information about your visit is shared with your GP or anyone else outside the clinic unless you ask for it to be. In Scotland, NHS inform says your information will be kept confidential.
As for when, a new play partner is the obvious moment, and so is anything that looks or feels different down below. NHS inform says its home kits are only an option if you don't have symptoms, so if something's wrong, go to a clinic.
If you think you've been exposed to HIV, move quickly. The NHS says post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is for anyone who thinks they've been exposed in the last 72 hours, and it's available from sexual health clinics and A&E. The NHS also says pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is available free of charge from sexual health clinics.
Free Condoms, and the Lube That Won't Wreck Them
Where to get them
The NHS says condoms are free from sexual health clinics (also called family planning or contraception clinics) and from some GP surgeries and pharmacies.
The NHS also says nothing protects you and the people you sleep with from HIV and other STIs better than using a condom every time you have sex.
Using them well
With latex condoms, the NHS says to skip oil-based lubricant and use a water-based or silicone-based one. If you use vaginal oestrogen, it also warns that some oestrogen creams and gels can damage condoms.
Our guide to sex after the menopause has more on lubricants.
Bring Up Condoms Without Killing the Mood
Timing is everything. Mention it before anyone's undressed, in a message or over a drink. In the heat of the moment it feels like a speed bump; beforehand, it's simply good manners.
Make it about you rather than a test of them. "I always use condoms with someone new" is a statement of how you do things, not an accusation. If you'd both like to, get tested and swap results, so you both know where you stand.
- Condoms with anyone new
- Shall we both get checked?
- I've brought my own
- Clinic first, fun after
Keep a few where you'll need them, in your bag or the bedside drawer. A condom you have beats ten you meant to buy. And if someone refuses, sulks or pushes, that's your answer: if you've said yes with a condom, the condom isn't optional.
What Our Privacy Features Do, and What Only a Test Can
Saucy Over Sixty is built to keep your identity private while you flirt. None of it can tell you anything about someone's sexual health. Only a test does that.
A username, not your name
Your real name and email address are never shown publicly.
You chat as yourself without giving away who you are until you choose to.
Your town, never your address
Profiles name the nearest town or city. Addresses and live locations are never shown.
People can see roughly where you are, never exactly.
Instant blocking and reporting
Block anyone instantly, and report a profile or a message from inside the site.
Unwanted attention stops when you say so.
Blurred until you choose
Possibly explicit images are blurred, with a warning, until you choose to look.
Fewer surprises you didn't ask for.
Fast takedown
Content shared without consent is taken down fast.
Private pictures shared without your say-so come down quickly.
An ID check at no charge
The optional ID check adds an ID verified badge to your profile.
It shows someone is who they say they are. It says nothing about their sexual health.
Privacy protects who you are; condoms and testing protect your health. The safety page explains every protection, the features page covers the rest, and our guide to sex after 60 picks up where this one leaves off.
Questions About Sexual Health Over 60
Will a sexual health clinic think I'm too old to be there?
No. The NHS says sexual health clinics are for everyone, no matter your age, gender, ethnicity or sexuality.
Will my GP find out?
Not unless you want them to. The NHS says nothing about your visit leaves the clinic unless you ask, and NHS inform says that in Scotland your GP won't be informed without your permission.
Can I test for STIs at home?
Sometimes. The NHS says some clinics offer home testing kits for some STIs. In Scotland, NHS inform says self-sampling is being rolled out but isn't in every health board yet, and it's only an option if you have no symptoms.
What if I think I've been exposed to HIV?
Act fast. The NHS says PEP is for exposure in the last 72 hours, and you can get it from a sexual health clinic or A&E.
Does Saucy Over Sixty check members' sexual health?
No. The optional ID check confirms who someone is, not their health, and no profile tells you anyone's STI status. Condoms and testing are how you look after yourself.
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