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Free Beer, Hot Wings & Senior Sex–all in a day’s work
April 21, 2012
Between the beginning of March 2012 and April 11, a small group of sexologists build a website called SaferSex4Seniors.org in a partnership with DDB NYC, a powerful ad agency behind a campaign to get older adults to use condoms to stem the tide of STDs among seniors. DDB NCY created a joyful video that has helped drive traffic to our website for more information on safer sex and relationships. The video has had around 880,000 views as of this writing, which is incredible. More views than that, actually, given the number of people who have reposted it to show under their own names and with their own music.
Traffic to the website has been consistently high, which means that a lot of people are getting great information. They may also like the free, downloadable poster and Ask an Expert feature.
This has been a wild ride, with all sorts of media attention; the Press page offers a sample of coverage. Which brings me to my brief visit to the Free Beer and Hot Wings Morning Show, which airs on radio stations across the country and on the internet.
I was wary about my visit, given that the hosts, nicknamed Free Beer and Hot Wings, make a living poking fun at pretty much anything. I’ve held my own against some strong personalities before, though, so I figured I’d give it a shot. The bit started out with the guys aptly describing the video, then they welcomed me and asked a few questions one would expect, like, “Have you tried all these positions?” Maybe they expected me to be shocked, but I wasn’t. I also wasn’t about to discuss my own sex life, so they moved on. The 13 minute segment was over painlessly, followed by show producer Joe Gassman calling his mom and illustrating how NOT to talk with a parent about safer sex. Fortunately, Mom Gassman shares her son’s sense of humor.
Producer Joe Gassman talks to his mom , unsuccessfully, about practicing safer sex.
SaferSex4Seniors.org Launches with a Bang!
April 13, 2012
A new website promoting safer sex for older adults had an explosive launch this week, thanks for a humorous video that has gone viral. Created by DDB Worldwide, the PSA features joyful seniors, fully dressed, acting out sexual intercourse positions from the Kama Sutra. The PSA drives traffic to SaferSex4Seniors.org, a website I’m very proud to be coordinating.
On the website, you can watch the PSA, download a free poster, and read or download fact sheets on topics ranging from condom selection to hot solo sex and boosting sexual desire. There’s useful information for professionals working with older adults, too.
The video is also on YouTube, titled Safe Sex for Seniors. Please follow us on Twitter @ss4s_org
Do Animals Hate Gays?
March 7, 2012
We’ve heard it time and again, homosexuality is “unnatural.” Except…it’s not, if you measure what’s natural by what occurs in nature. Researchers have identified same-sex sexual behavior in 1,500 species. Yep, 1,500 living, breathing species are gettin’ down with their own kind.
I’ve never had a problem with same-sex attraction or action, and I’ve never cared whether it was natural by anyone’s definition. Consenting people, animals, birds and bugs have a right to enjoy their sexual interests any way they choose. That’s the most natural thing in the world, i.e., to be who one is, inherently.
Unfortunately, it’s also inherent in the human psyche to form opinions that justify their own choices, interests, values and beliefs. It’s time we take a lesson from nature — the beasts and bugs who have been on this earth long before humans were — in how to not only accept but appreciate when others of our species do what comes naturally to them.
This Slate.com story by Will Oremus answers the question, “Are animals homophobic?“
WhatTheyAreAsking.com Debuts with Adults’ Sex Questions
February 21, 2012
What do adults want to know about sex? A new sexuality education website titled WhatTheyAreAsking.com knows. Born out of the experiences of professional educators, the site illustrates the importance of sex education throughout the lifespan.
Every day, the website posts three question cards submitted anonymously during adult sex education lectures and workshops across the country. Site visitors can vote for the question they would like answered by one of the six educators who support the site.
Educators use anonymous cards as a way to help people ask questions about sex without embarrassment. The cards are collected, shuffled and answered so group or class members can learn from each other’s questions. The cards appearing on the site were all asked by adults ranging from college students to elderly people, medical students, and health teachers.
The cards represent the myriad concerns, issues and questions adults have about sex and sexuality. The questions illustrate the lifelong impact of traditionally poor-quality sex education in schools, which leads to sexually misinformed adults.
The educators involved in WhatTheyAreAsking.com, including me, hope the project will be used by policy makers as evidence of the need to advocate for comprehensive sex education within both primary and secondary school systems.
Another goal of the site is to help adults feel less alone in their need for information. Educators can provide information, resources, workshops and classes to build sexual knowledge, improve health and function, and increase confidence and pleasure.
The Sexuality and Aging Consortium at Widener University sponsored research last year that found that even very old adults can benefit from learning more about sexuality. The Consortium’s members offer workshops and programs for adults in mid- and later age.
Davis Joins Sex Ed Journal Review Board
February 21, 2012
I’m very pleased to share the news that I’ve been selected to join the Editorial Advisory Board of the American Journal of Sexuality Education, published by Routledge. The peer-reviewed journal provides sexuality educators and trainers with current research about sexuality education programming, best practices, sample lesson plans, reports on curriculum development and assessment, literature reviews, scholarly commentary, educational program reports, media reviews (books, videos, internet resources, and curricula), and letters to the editor.