Remember the Sunday Night Sex Show or Sex with Sue?
It was that Canadian Sunday night call-in show where sex educator Sue Johanson would answer any question from a caller, sharing her vast knowledge about sex.
It’s STI Awareness Month and it’s time to have a friendly sex talk with your parents or grandparents who may have recently found themselves single and ready to mingle.
In the past decade, sexually transmitted infection (STIs) rates for Canadian seniors over 65 have risen by 267 per cent for chlamydia, 340 per cent for syphilis and 388 per cent for gonorrhea. This rise is because many seniors who re-enter the dating scene are unaware of the risks.
Sue Johanson, alive and well at 92 and enjoying her retirement, has a daughter, Jane Johanson, who, in partnership with Jems, a body-safe condom brand committed to tackling an outdated industry, launched a bold new campaign.
F#cking Old encourages young Canadians who are comfortable talking openly about sex to speak with their elders.
“In terms of generation we have to turn around and become the educators for something like this because seniors or geriatric people are completely unaware of the statistics that have come up for sexually transmitted infections right now,” Jane said. “It’s great that we have recognized it and now we have to do something about it. We need to make seniors aware that this is posing a threat to their health along with all the other things they are having to deal with as they get older.”
When seniors were younger a condom was used to prevent pregnancy and now some sexually active seniors may be reluctant to use them, not being aware of the infection risk a new partner may bring to them.
“So let’s talk about it,” Jane said.
For the younger generation who may be more comfortable with talking about sex, they are encouraged to sit down with their older loved ones for a chat.
“Go visit your grandparent and just sit down and just say ‘hey, I hear you’re meeting some new people’ – not in a condescending way but in a positive way, keeping it light – no reprimanding or scolding – but instead there’s humour involved and if we can share our own personal story before we dive into theirs then the ice gets broken and perhaps they’ll want to talk about it because they’re excited about it and then it can be playful. Then the person can say ‘well, you might want to grab one of these to use (condom) because did you know that…. and then they can share some of the information about the STI risks and then just leave it with them – no pressure.”
The F#cking Old campaign sees Jems offering grandparents’ favourite treat – hard candies - with safer sex tips on the wrappers to encourage conversation about what some might consider a taboo topic.
“So with these candies that come along with Jems there’s these ice breakers on the wrappers,” Jane said. “What a beautiful thing, you open up the wrapper, pop a Bedroom Berry in your mouth and talk about safer sex with your partner.”
Jems candies are available online at https://jemsforall.com/pages/fckingold with 100 per cent of the proceeds donated to Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights, which is a progressive, pro-choice charitable organization committed to advancing and upholding sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada and globally.
Jems is a condom brand and sex-ed platform built to normalize sex and condom use. The F#cking Old campaign is an extension of Jems’ commitment to making sexual wellness more inclusive for all. For more information about the non-toxic, body-safe condoms visit www.jemsforall.com.
