Life Begins at Forty
Authors: Thomas Fekete
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2010)

Editorials6 July 2010Life Begins at FortyThomas Fekete, MDThomas Fekete, MDFrom Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-153-1-201007060-00011 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail In 1935, shortly before his death in a plane crash, the actor-humorist Will Rogers starred in the movie Life Begins at Forty. Since then, this phrase has appeared in songs by Sophie Tucker and John Lennon. In this issue, a study by Jena and colleagues (1) reminds us that men older than 40 years remain sexually active, even if they need chemical assistance to do so. This study also serves as a reminder that sex after age 40 years is not necessarily safe.Sexual activity in the middle and later years, whatever its limitations, is safer than during adolescence and ...References1. Jena AB, Goldman DP, Kamdar A, Lakdawalla DN, Lu Y. Sexually transmitted diseases among users of erectile dysfunction drugs: analysis of claims data. Ann Intern Med. 2010;153:1-7. LinkGoogle Scholar2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance, 2008. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2009. Google Scholar3. Bodley-Tickell AT, Olowokure B, Bhaduri S, White DJ, Ward D, Ross JD, et al. Trends in sexually transmitted infections (other than HIV) in older people: analysis of data from an enhanced surveillance system. Sex Transm Infect. 2008;84:312-7. [PMID: 18586861] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. Chesson HW, Zaidi AA, Aral SO. Decreasing age disparities in syphilis and gonorrhea incidence rates in the United States, 1981-2005. Sex Transm Dis. 2008;35:393-7. [PMID: 18362861] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Lexchin J. Bigger and better: how Pfizer redefined erectile dysfunction. PLoS Med. 2006;3:132. [PMID: 16597172] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. Laumann EO, Paik A, Rosen RC. Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors. JAMA. 1999;281:537-44. [PMID: 10022110] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. Bacon CG, Mittleman MA, Kawachi I, Giovannucci E, Glasser DB, Rimm EB. Sexual function in men older than 50 years of age: results from the health professionals follow-up study. Ann Intern Med. 2003;139:161-8. [PMID: 12899583] LinkGoogle Scholar8. Armstrong K, Schwartz JS, Asch DA. Direct sale of sildenafil (Viagra) to consumers over the Internet. N Engl J Med. 1999;341:1389-92. [PMID: 10536133] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. Rosen NO, Knäuper B, Mozessohn L, Ho MH. Factors affecting knowledge of sexually transmitted infection transmissibility in healthcare providers: results from a national survey. Sex Transm Dis. 2005;32:619-24. [PMID: 16205303] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. Laumann EO, Youm Y. Racial/ethnic group differences in the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States: a network explanation. Sex Transm Dis. 1999;26:250-61. [PMID: 10333277] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. Doherty IA, Padian NS, Marlow C, Aral SO. Determinants and consequences of sexual networks as they affect the spread of sexually transmitted infections. J Infect Dis. 2005;191 Suppl 1 S42-54. [PMID: 15627230] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar12. Paul JP, Pollack L, Osmond D, Catania JA. Viagra (sildenafil) use in a population-based sample of U.S. men who have sex with men. Sex Transm Dis. 2005;32:531-3. [PMID: 16118600] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Thomas Fekete, MDAffiliations: From Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19140.Disclosures: None disclosed. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=M10-0861.Corresponding Author: Thomas Fekete, MD, Section of Infectious Diseases, Temple University School of Medicine, 3401 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19140; [email protected]edu. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoSexually Transmitted Diseases Among Users of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs: Analysis of Claims Data Anupam B. Jena , Dana P. Goldman , Amee Kamdar , Darius N. Lakdawalla , and Yang Lu Metrics Cited bySurvey of Nasopharyngeal Bacteria in Infant Outpatients 6 July 2010Volume 153, Issue 1Page: 49-50KeywordsAdolescentsDatabasesDrugsElderlyHIV infectionsHuman sexual behaviorSexual dysfunctionSexually transmitted diseasesSyphilisYoung adults ePublished: 6 July 2010 Issue Published: 6 July 2010 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2010 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...