Old people porkin?

I thought this article was quite interesting, and amusing. Courtesy of azcentral.

Safe sex may seem like an unusual discussion topic for seniors, but members of Goodyear's PebbleCreek retirement community gathered Wednesday to learn about it.

Officials from Banner Estrella Medical Center said some West Valley adult communities have noticed high rates of sexually transmitted diseases among residents.

Dr. James Brown from Banner Estrella said lack of education and comfort is a primary reason for this.
"With the older people, they think they're immune," Brown said.

To help educate seniors about preventing HIV and other STDs, Brown spoke to a group of PebbleCreek residents.

Brown said statistics show 15 percent of new AIDS cases across the world are found in people older than 50. This is a large number considering this age group accounts for 25 percent of the world's population, Brown noted.

While the elderly usually teach younger generations, today's youth are more knowledgeable when it comes to AIDS, he said, yet both groups are equally at-risk.

After age 50, Brown said, only 22 percent of women and 38 percent of men discuss sex with their doctors. Brown also said postmenopausal women are physically more susceptible to contracting AIDS.

The hourlong seminar was sponsored by Kare Bears, a PebbleCreek organization that helps residents through illness, medical treatment and loss.

Program Director Elaine Reichard schedules speakers for monthly meetings, and this month she chose Brown.

"I lost a son to AIDS," Reichard said during the meeting. "It's not a pretty disease - it's a terrible disease."

Reichard later said her son lived with AIDS for almost 15 years. "Seeing my son live with the disease was terrible," she said. "I don't want to see anyone else go through that."

Brown also discussed stereotypes associated with AIDS, as well as its symptoms, and how it's contracted, prevented and diagnosed.

"It's important to bring it out and discuss it," said Kare Bear President Jim Reynolds. "For me, the only difference between (AIDS) and cancer is that (AIDS) is preventable.

"The more knowledge they have, the better it is," Reynolds added.