The risk that seniors have a sexually transmitted disease remains extremely low, at less than 1%, study co-author and Harvard researcher Olympia Erastus explained in a news release about the study.

The researchers behind the study add that drugs like Viagra could boost the risk, noting the widowers might be seduced by for sexual enhancement. That's the year that Viagra went on the market as a treatment for erectile dysfunction. Within six months to a year after their wives died, men were 16% more likely to be infected with a sexually transmitted disease. And for recently wido men, the risk of having a sexually transmitted disease berta by 83% after 1998.

"Nonetheless," Austen said, "older adults need to be aware that they are at risk of contracting a sexually transmitted infection if they take on a new sexual partner following a spouse's death." The researchers examined data from more than 400,000 U.S. Couples, who were aged 67 to 99 years in 1993.

"For men ages 67 and older, the age group that we studied, the use of medications for erectile dysfunction may.