Love is in the air and STDs/STIs are on the rise and running rampant among the millennials and elderly nationwide. All of the necessary precautions that were once taught in health class are now being tossed out the window and being considerably ignored.

In regards to the millennials, the rise of STDs and STIs are due to not taking the necessary birth control precautions--especially condoms--while being involved with multiple partners in a casual setting. This generation of millennials is infatuated with the idea of hooking up. They fear commitment and don't know how to be in a monogamous relationship. The days of "courting" or even dating are long gone, and are being replaced with the idea of scouting for people who are "DTF" or for the many booty calls to put in your little black book--well now iPhone.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "Young people aged 15-24 acquire half of all new STDs and that 1 in 4 sexually active adolescent females have an STD...Compared with older adults, sexually active adolescents aged 15-19 years and young adults aged 20-24 years are at higher risk of acquiring STDs for a combination of behavioral, biological, and cultural reasons." Siphilis alone has spiked by 30% since last year among millennials. The older generations believe that hookup/dating apps like Tinder or Grindr are to blame for this higher contraction rate of STDs because these apps are making it easier and more accessible for young people to meet and hook up with each other anonymously.

Now let's look at the elderly population as to why there is such a spike in STDs/STIs among their age group. As I researched this topic to get a better understanding of the bizarre reality, it came to my attention that the supply and demand for Viagra is on the rise, mixed with women who no longer have to worry about becoming pregnant is a bad equation for a whole lot of unprotected sex in the elderly community.

Eldercare expert, speaker, consultant and author, Derrick McDaniel states, "What goes on in nursing homes [and] assisted living facilities...is a lot closer to what goes on in spring break hotels than most people would ever imagine...Seniors across the board are contracting STDs at an alarming rate and the STDs cover the same spectrum as younger people" (The Huffington Post).

So remember to take every precaution necessary to protect yourself from all of the risks that come with being sexually active the next time you plan on being intimate with somebody. And let's not create a reality where you and your grandmother can swap stories on how uncomfortable that itch was when you both happened to contract an STD.

Stay safe everybody!