By Michele Cauch
Parks and Recreation is now offering sex education for seniors. No, not
City of Toronto Parks and Recreation, but one of my favourite TV
sitcoms, Parks and Recreation with comedienne Amy Poehler.
Parks and Recreation Season 5, Episode 4 focused on the rising rate of
sexually transmitted diseases (STD), particularly chlamydia, among
seniors in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana.
The parks and rec staff, dubbed the Sex Avengers by Councilwoman Leslie
Knope (played by Poehler), puts together a sex education seminar
targeting seniors.
Naturally, jokes, ageist comments and expressions of disgust at the
thought of older people having sex are woven throughout the episode.
Yet, it can be too easy to assume the producers are ageist in their
portrayal of senior sexuality.
The characters are used to represent different views of the same conversation.
For example, Andy captures the stereotypical attitude that most people
have toward seniors and sexuality. He expresses a lot of “ewwws” and
shivers in revulsion at the educational seminar when seniors are talking
openly about sex.
Public health nurse, Ann, acknowledges STDs are increasing because
seniors aren’t practicing safer sex. Politician Leslie wants to educate
the senior population on safer sex practices to protect the health of
the citizens. And then there are Marcia and Marshall Langman, who
represent the abstinence-only front and do all that they can to prevent
sex education of any kind.
But most importantly, the Parks and Recreation main characters, writers
and producers, acknowledge seniors are sexually active and need health
education. One lady in the audience actually requests to see the condom
demonstration.
The latest stats from Public Health Canada show 12.4 per cent (2,644) of
all reported AIDS cases occurred in people 50 years of age or older (www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/aids-sida/publication/epi/2010/6-eng.php).
In the U.S., one in five newly diagnosed HIV cases is someone 50 or older (The Body, www.thebody.com/content/69471/washington-dc-tailors-hiv-and-aids-talk-to-seniors.html).
Seniors want sexual health information. They are either not getting it
or they’re only getting the cookie-cutter one-sized fits all sex ed,
which doesn’t benefit them.
They need honest, realistic, customized education in order to make
informed decisions about their own health. We need more politicians such
as Leslie Knope who will brave government censure in order to educate
and protect the public health.
Original link: http://www.insidetoronto.com/blogs/post/1490632-health-parks-and-recreation-offering-much-needed-sex-education-for-seniors/
