People over the age of 70 are the third largest group in the United States to be positive for HIV.
This was one of many jaw-dropping statistics that Bryan Reamer, Executive Director at Atria Park of Pacific Palisades shared with the group at this month’s senior brunch held at the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club on Tuesday, Dec. 9.
A small group of senior citizens munched on quiche, pastries and fruit while sipping coffee and orange juice for a dialogue entitled Sex and the Senior Citizen – The “Talk” for Those Over a Certain Age.
Reamer, who has a Bachelor’s degree in Geriatric Sociology and 14 years of experience working in senior care, led the discussion.
“Never in human history have so many lived so long,” Reamer said, adding that today’s seniors make up a “population that has always wanted to be sexually active but has been restrained for social reasons.”
Some of today’s seniors have outlived their spouses and are on to their second or third marriages – and contracting HIV in large numbers, in addition to other sexually transmitted diseases and infections.
Most senior citizens never had sex education in school and do not know exactly what it means to have ‘safe sex,’ Reamer said.
The conversation, which got graphic at times and made some people chuckle, outlined how seniors can be sexually active with new partners while still protecting themselves against disease and infection.
Reamer stressed how important it is for everybody (but particularly seniors) to have an open line of communication with their doctors about their sex lives, regularly be tested for disease and infection and how critical it is to be educated on the signs and symptoms of these conditions.
Senior brunch at the PPWC is the second Tuesday of every month.
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