As a teen, your parents warned you against the perils of having sex “before you’re ready,” which really meant, “we can’t afford another kid, don’t get knocked up.” You’d go to high school and get your sexual education on, you’d learn about the infections you could acquire, some of it resonated. When you started having sex, it was mostly protected; your parents and public school education instilled a combined fear of STIs and teenage pregnancy in you – rightfully so. You became an adult, and maybe you experienced some bumps along the way – either literal or figurative or both. You’ve probably experienced a UTI and a pregnancy scare at the very least, and perhaps something more serious than that, either way – you’re fairly well-versed in sexual health.
So now it’s time to do the right thing. Sit down and have “the talk” with your parents.
The “free love” generation didn’t get the sexual education we did. And while they tried to raise you as a sexually responsible young adult, they’ve been talking the talk and not walking the walk – according to a study by the Center for Disease Control, the number of reported cases of syphilis and chlamydia in seniors nationwide rose 43 percent during 2004-2009. In central Florida, it rose 71 percent (and 62 percent throughout the state). In some cases, these rates were almost double those of the rates for other age groups.
The AIDS Community Research Initiative of America has taken out the above ad to let seniors know: just ‘cuz you can’t get preggers does not mean you can run wild at Bingo night. If your parents are among the 50% of adults whose marriage ended in divorce, share this ad with them. Their age, like our intoxication, is not a condom.
