The Surprising Health Trend Rising in Adults Over 50 — And What It Really Says About Loneliness
How can Pilates, mindbody modalities….help?
Rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among adults over 50 have climbed sharply over the past decade. What was once framed as a “young person’s issue” is increasingly affecting midlife and older adults across the Western world.
In the United States, reporting highlighted by the American Medical Association shows that rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia have more than doubled among adults over 55 in recent years, with even steeper increases among those over 65. Condom use among adults over 60 remains in the single digits, largely because pregnancy is no longer a concern (see reporting via the American Medical Association summarizing CDC surveillance data).
In England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) reports tens of thousands of new STI diagnoses annually in adults over 45, with chlamydia and gonorrhea among the most common infections in this age group.
Australia has reported similar increases in older age bands in state-level sexual health surveillance reports, including rising infectious syphilis and gonorrhea cases in adults over 50 (see recent reporting from NSW Health sexual health surveillance data).
This is not isolated to the United States. It is a broader demographic shift in Western countries.
So what is happening?
The Loneliness Epidemic No One Connects to Sexual Health
A recent article in The Epoch Times, “Finding Solutions to America’s Loneliness Epidemic,” highlights what many public health leaders have already warned: social isolation has become a measurable health crisis in America. AARP and the University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging have also reported persistent loneliness among adults over 45.
Loneliness is not simply emotional discomfort. It affects physiology, stress hormones, mood regulation, and behavior. When human beings feel disconnected, they seek connection.
In a modern dating culture dominated by apps and rapid introductions, sex can be mistaken for intimacy. But sex is not the same as emotional bonding, security, or long-term attachment. Without strong community structures, intimacy can become transactional instead of relational.
And that shift carries risk.
Why STI Rates Are Rising in Adults Over 50
Several factors are converging:
• Higher divorce rates in adults over 50
• Re-entry into dating after decades of monogamy
• Low condom use because pregnancy is no longer a concern
• Limited sexual health messaging targeted to older adults
• Cultural discomfort discussing sexual health with patients over 50
• Increased sexual longevity due to modern medicine
Add loneliness to that equation, and you have a powerful behavioral driver.
When the nervous system is dysregulated, people often seek quick dopamine relief. When it is regulated, they seek stable connection.
The difference matters.
Community Is Protective Medicine
For twenty-five years, I’ve watched this unfold in my own Pilates studios. Women do not just come for strength training. They come for belonging, but mostly they come for connection within themselves. They build routine. They form friendships. They feel safe. They reconnect to their bodies.
Research consistently shows that individuals embedded in strong social networks engage in fewer high-risk behaviors and report better mental health outcomes. Group-based exercise reduces symptoms of anxiety and depression. Community participation reduces perceived loneliness.
When a woman feels at home in her body, she raises her standards.
Faith communities can also play a powerful role. Churches offer structured social connection through Bible studies, singles ministries, service groups, and weekly gatherings. Scripture reminds us, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:23). Guarding the heart begins with self-awareness and regulation.
Reconnecting to God, to movement, to purpose, and to community does not eliminate risk overnight — but it strengthens discernment. And discernment changes behavior.
Sex is not intimacy. Self-awareness is.
When you are grounded in your body and supported by community, you are far less likely to confuse attention for connection.
A Practical Step Forward
If February has you thinking about relationships, connection, and health, consider starting with yourself.
Movement is medicine. Community is protective. Embodiment builds confidence.
At both of our Texas studios, we are currently offering a February special: Two Weeks of Unlimited Classes for $49.
You can join us at:
The Good Space – Houston
www.thegoodspace.com
Elmwood Place Pilates – Palestine, Texas
www.elmwoodplacetx.com
It is simple to get started. Show up. Move your body. Meet people. Reconnect to yourself.
Loneliness thrives in isolation. It weakens in community.
Sources & Further Reading
American Medical Association reporting on STI rise in older adults (based on CDC surveillance data)
UK Health Security Agency – Sexually Transmitted Infections Annual Data Tables
NSW Health – STI Surveillance Reports
The Epoch Times – “Finding Solutions to America’s Loneliness Epidemic”
AARP Loneliness Research
University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging
More research in this area is ongoing, and public health experts continue to analyze the connection between social isolation, mental health, and risk behavior in midlife populations.
