A telephone study conducted by Monash University of 5,990 middle-aged Australian men revealed 40 percent do not practice safe-sex measures in “no-strings attached” relationships. The survey was taken in 2003 and was recently released.

Perhaps it’s due to the fact that Australian men are up there in the list of those who underwent vasectomy and the lack of fear of pregnancy has diminished the fear of contracting STDs. About 25 percent of the men surveyed had the procedure done, with 9 percent regretting the operation. Of the men from the 40-74 age category, 31 percent had a vasectomy—by far, the largest in the men studied.

The study also revealed 14 percent of them had utilized a pay-for-sex service at least once in their lives, and that the men want more sex in their lives—at least twice a week. Among the given statistics, men over age 70 made up 27 percent of the group.

The reason for practice unsafe sex by older Australian men was given by Rebecca Smith, a spokesperson from Sexual Health and Family Planning Australia: Men were living longer, and thus enjoying more sex, and they had to “negotiate safe sex for the first time” in their lives because they were beginning relationships later in life.