Health
More than half of Americans with STDs were infected by cheating partners, survey finds
A new study has exposed the sexual health habits of some Americans.
Researchers analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine how and where Americans have been contracting and spreading STIs (sexually transmitted infections), also known as STDs (sexually transmitted diseases).
Among the findings from DatingNews.com was the fact that 55% of people with an STI contracted it from a cheating partner.
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Thirteen percent of the nearly 1,000 respondents said their partner has lied to them about their STI status, while 45% did not discuss testing with their partner before becoming sexually active.
Nearly one in five (18%) of respondents said they had been diagnosed with an STI, with the most common diagnosis, chlamydia, making up 36% of the cases.
Fifty-five percent of people with an STI said they contracted it from a cheating partner, according to the study. (iStock)
The survey participants ranged in age from 18 to 79, DatingNews.com spokesperson Emily Fanous told Fox News Digital.
Since 81% of Americans over 18 are sexually active, Fanous emphasized the importance of knowing one’s risk — and how getting testing can aid in prevention.
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One in three Americans in the study said they have never been tested for an STI.
The largest number of untested individuals were baby boomers (51%), followed by millennials (33%) and Gen Z and Gen X (both 29%).
The main reasons respondents said they’ve refrained from testing are embarrassment (25%), lack of time (22%) and cost (19%).
Baby boomers made up 51% of individuals who had never been tested for STDs. (iStock)
Dr. Gabe Gaviola, M.D., senior medical director at Everlywell in New York — an at-home STD testing and treatment platform — noted that there are more than 20 million new cases of STIs reported in the U.S. each year.
“The real surprise from these findings is the lack of STI testing that could prevent new cases,” Gaviola, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital during an on-camera interview. (See the video at the top of this article.)
“Many STIs don’t present any symptoms, which means you shouldn’t wait for symptoms to get tested.”
“As a doctor and public health advocate, I wish more people knew that there are affordable at-home STI lab testing options that provide quick, reliable results with the privacy and convenience of collection at home.”
“I wish more people knew that there are affordable at-home STI lab testing options that provide quick, reliable results with the privacy and convenience of collection at home,” said a sexual health expert. (iStock)
The study also found that only 34% of people get annual STI testing, while fewer than 25% get tested before entering a new relationship.
“Those numbers aren’t high enough,” Gaviola said. “Many STIs don’t present any symptoms, which means you shouldn’t wait for symptoms to get tested.”
STDs by state
The research also revealed the U.S. states that have the most STI and STD cases.
Mississippi has the highest rate, at 1,187 diagnoses per 100,000 people, followed by Louisiana at 1,145, Alaska at 1,066, South Dakota at 993 and Georgia at 975.
Fanous encouraged those in states with high rates to consider being tested if they are sexually active.
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“These findings show that too many people are not prioritizing their sexual health,” Gaviola said.
“Whether it’s because of stigma, access or education, millions of Americans who are at high risk of getting or transmitting an STI are not getting tested.”
“We need to advance the conversation around sexual health and increase education about the importance of STI testing.”
“Whether it’s because of stigma, access or education, millions of Americans who are at high risk of getting or transmitting an STI are not getting tested,” an expert said. (iStock)
Everlywell is teaming up with the American Sexual Health Association for the first-ever National Get Tested Day on Sept. 30.
“Testing is the first step in empowering people with important information about their sexual health.”
“Our goal is to educate and break down barriers to accessing this essential health care,” Gaviola said.
“Testing is the first step in empowering people with important information about their sexual health.”
Sexual health experts encourage routine STI testing, even for people in long-term, monogamous relationships. (iStock)
Gaviola added that even people in long-term, monogamous relationships should stay up to date on STI testing.
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“Many STIs don’t present any symptoms, but if left undetected and untreated, they can lead to serious long-term health issues, such as infertility,” he cautioned.
The expert encouraged Americans to have open conversations with their partners before entering a sexual relationship and to “keep checking in.”
“This helps establish trust that they are taking their sexual health as seriously as you are by getting tested regularly,” he said.
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As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
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The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
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“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
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More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
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When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
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A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
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Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
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“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
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Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
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Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
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