Seniors and Sex - I don't mean high school seniors

Seniors, Sex and STDs a Growing Concern
One of my clients is an online blood testing organization that offers discreet and confidential blood testing for a variety of ailments. I had the momentary excitement of finding out that Dear Abby had chosen my letter (representing Edward Salko, D.O., founder of Personalabs.com and Justgettested.com)out of 3,000/week. What a high. Then, what goes up, must come down. The awesome placement of the article was signed by Dr. Salko, which was good, but not credited to personalabs.com or justgettested.com.

Well, DUH!
Yeah, I know - all you PR people are saying, "Well, duh, it's not a commercial!" I know, I know, but I was hoping they'd add it under his credentials to give him a little credibility. I was wrong. So, I'm taking this up in cyberspace. Seniors - and I don't mean high school seniors - senior citizens and baby boomers (since we know there is no such thing as a baby boomer senior citizen) are contracting and transmitting STDs and STIs at an alarming rate. The best way to stop it is to get tested. As long as there are male enhancement drugs, there will be STDs for generations to come.

Below is a blog I posted on justtest.me.blog and thought it was appropriate to add to my personal blog. JustGetTested.com and Personalabs.com gives seniors a private way of finding out without the embarrassment. If you think this is worth passing along, I would greatly appreciate it. Let's spread some education around instead of STDs, shall we?

You’re Never Too Old for an STD
The world we live in is drastically different than the one in which our current over 60 population grew up. Think back to the 1940s, 50s and 60s for a minute. Nice girls didn’t do it. It was NOT talked about except among the boys and the worst thing that could happen was getting your girl pregnant. Back then, pregnancy was tantamount to syphilis and gonorrhea because it couldn’t be cured. Although syphilis and gonorrhea have been around forever, the advent of penicillin made them easy to hide. So the only outward sign of a nice girl (or a not so nice girl) having sex was pregnancy. Fast boys on the other hand never had to ‘fess up – except around their buddies.
Fast forward to 2010. Every other commercial on television seems to promote a male enhancement drug. Divorces that waited until the children were out of the house are on the rise and the first Baby Boomers are reaching retirement age. Baby Boomers were at a prime age when the sexual revolution was in full swing. But that was in the 1960s and 1970s. In essence, there are a bunch of people today having sex who grew up in the 1940s, 50s, 60s and 70s and have never been educated about STDs and STIs. HIV was not discovered yet. Neither were Chlamydia, genital herpes, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and many other sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted infections (STD/STI).

Somewhere between the soda shop and online dating sites, something very insidious happened to sex. It started to carry a price tag far greater than pregnancy. Today’s youth are much more informed about sexually transmitted diseases and sexually transmitted infections or illnesses than their older counterparts were. Young people for the most part use protection if they choose to have sex. Their grandparents don’t.

If the only thing you’re worried about is pregnancy, today’s older generation is basically in the clear. After menopause, you can’t get pregnant. Why use a condom if you can’t make a baby? Well, because you’re never too old to get an STD or STI. The scary part is that if you have symptoms, you’re lucky. Most of the STDs and STIs don’t carry any symptoms. So someone who has picked up an STD or STI can pass it around without ever knowing it.
Another problem facing today’s 60+ generation is the conversation with their doctor or lack thereof. Imagine a 30 something physician looking at an 80 something patient and asking if he’s using protection when having sex. Or, imagine that same 80-year-old talking to the equivalent of his or her grandchild about having safe sex. It’s uncomfortable all around. It’s not a conversation anyone wants to have, but it is critically important.

Finally, there could be an “I don’t really care if I have an STD” mentality in the older set. They think that because they are in their 70s, 80s and beyond something else will kill them before an STD or STI. They may be right. What they aren’t realizing though is that they may be passing those diseases and infections on to much younger partners without even realizing it. I don’t think they would want to do that if they thought about it.

So, to update the older generation on STDs and STIs, here is a handy checklist to consider:
1) Getting tested is the only way to know for certain if you have an STD or STI.
2) HIV is transferred among men and women now. Women represent the fastest growing number of new cases.
3) You are at risk of contracting an STD or STI if you have unprotected sex with anyone who has had unprotected sex with another partner.
4) Many STDs and STIs are curable.
5) Most STDs and STIs do not show outward symptoms.
6) Some STDs and STIs can cause acute liver damage and liver cancer.
7) Some STDs and STIs can be transmitted even if you wear a condom.
So for all of you out there enjoying your second (or third) go ‘round, please be aware that you are at risk for sexually transmitted diseases and infections. Safe sex is considered that which is enjoyed in a long-term monogamous relationship with a partner who has been tested and determined to be without infection. But if you can’t be sure, make sure to use a condom every time. Then get tested. Until June 1, anyone over the age of 50 can receive a 10% discount. Just enter coupon code OVER50.

When is it Edgy and When is it Sleazy

Having a business name like Edge Communications and promising to give your business the Edge, I am left wondering how far one can go to the edge without slipping off and getting into sleazy. We all struggle with ways to stand out from the crowd. Look different. Make a splash. This weekend, one of my clients, the Vein and Laser Treatment Center is sponsoring the Just Us Girls event with Clear Channel radio. The event is being billed as the ultimate sleep-over and features businesses that cater to women. There will be free services like manicures, hair styling, vitamins, massages, and other fun things. The fun goes on after the vendors close up as guests may stay and dance the night away until they are so tired, they retire to their rooms at the Coconut Point Hyatt. There will be drinks and food and lots of frivolity. Last year's show was a blast. Moms came with their grown-up daughters, friends came and the bonds of sisterhood were evident everywhere. The venue is ripe for edginess. The client agreed to the posters that I've attached and I think they are fine, but I'm wondering where a marketer draws the line. We coined the phrase, "Get Lazed at the Vein and Laser Treatment Center" last year and are carrying the theme through this year. We decided to add these posters as well as some others that are a little less sexy. Personally, I am really proud of these posters and think Janine at Dzine Studio did a wonderful job on the artwork. The response I've gotten from some of my confidants has been positive...some remarking that sex does really sell.

Now where is my dilemma? It's my own disgust as I listened to a radio commericial for a local transmission company that gives a shift about its customers. I know this because the company told me that they give a shift about their customers right there on the radio. My first thought was, "They do what??" Then I was somewhat disgusted. It just didn't sound right. A little too crude for my virgin ears maybe. Just a few moments ago I approved a radio commercial encouraging people to get Lazed at the Vein and Laser Treatment Center. Am I just as sleazy as the "shifty" transmission people? I guess only time will tell. I will post an update as to the response we get. But I'd love to hear some opinions on the line we draw in the sand. Where is that elusive edge that we all want to live on?