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6/28/10

The Netherlands: STI Rates Among Swingers

In 2008 the Dutch government set up a system whereby sexual health clinics could track STI rates among swingers in much the same way they do for other groups identified as being at greater risk for STI infections (e.g. men who have sex with men, sex workers, youth). When an individual comes to one of the free clinics for testing they are asked about swinging. Specifically, if they identify themselves as heterosexual, as being part of a couple, and as having sex with other heterosexuals, they're tagged as swingers. Granted this may not be the way everyone would define swinging, but it's something.

Apparently the system isn't getting used consistently across the Netherlands but a team of researchers in South Limburg compiled data from a two year period starting in January 2007 that sheds some light both on demographics and potential risk profiles for swingers. Just under 12% of people coming to the clinics were identified as swingers. This number is much higher than the estimate of 2% of the U.S. adult population which was previously proposed by researchers.

In terms of risk for STIs the paper looked at tests for chlamydia and gonorrhea and noted that swingers, particularly swingers over 45, had a higher prevalence of STIs when tested at the community clinics. In fact they had the second highest rate of combined STIs among the four groups considered (which, in addition to swingers, included men who have sex with men, sex workers, straight people who weren't swingers).

For more: STI Rates Among Swingers

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