Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2006. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
San Francisco Examiner - July 14, 2006
Jaime Malarkey, jmalarkey@baltimoreexaminer.com
Now, 40 years later, they come in neon colors, fruit flavors and even studded.
"I have a wife and I love her," said Clinton, 67. "But if she passes before me, I'll do what I need to do for her - and I'll be looking around!"
Clinton was one of many area seniors who attended a dating seminar organized by Baltimore County's Department of Aging along with Planned Parenthood. The series Thursday stopped at the Fleming Senior Center in Dundalk, where seniors received a crash refresher course on the birds and the bees.
The seminars also aim to teach seniors how to address sexual history with new partners, preventing sexually transmitted diseases, dating etiquette and the values of romance as a senior, said Planned Parenthood trainer Deborah Chilcoat.
Too often, society assumes seniors are celibate, she said, but there's life beyond bingo and pinochle.
"You're not dead yet," Chilcoat said. "Give yourself permission to feel tingly again!"
The seniors, giggling at first with each mention of the word "sex," soon launched into lively conversation on where they can meet other golden-year singles, and when it's appropriate to date again after the loss of a spouse.
And as the prevalence of STDs - including HIV - among seniors increases, many seminar participants said they need to know more about ways to practice safe sex. Francis Davis, 64, said many of her peers know they need to be cautious, they're just not sure how.
But many other seniors said they're looking more for companionship and affection than sex, like Vonzella Randolph, 79, who went on a date this past weekend.
"We danced by candlelight, had a romantic dinner," she said. "You gotta get what you can while you can!"
060714
SE060707
Copyright © 2006 - San Francisco Examiner. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the San Francisco Examiner, Permissions Desk, 110 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 7260, San Franciso, CA 94120.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from the Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, AIDS Walk of Orange County, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2006. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2006. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .