By Peggy Brick
By creating, publishing and promoting the teaching manual, Older, Wiser, Sexually Smarter: 30 Sex Ed Lessons for Adults Only, The Center for Sex Education (CSE) has taken the lead in recognizing the widely unrecognized need for sexuality education for people in mid and later life. While the sexuality education field has long professed “we’re sexual from birth until death,” The CSE has seized the opportunity to envision a resource that answers to a growing need that is exacerbated by rapidly increasing longevity. I salute Bill Taverner, Director of The CSE and the courageous CEOs of The CSE’s parent organization, Planned Parenthood of Greater Northern New Jersey, Jeff Brand and Triste Brooks, who supported and continue to support this important initiative.
As co-author of Older, Wiser, Sexually Smarter, and founder of the Consortium on Sexuality and Aging, I joined the American Society on Aging (ASA) hoping to inspire interest in sexuality issues among those professionals. In September, ASA’s newspaper, Aging Today featured my article, “Vital Social Movement Promotes a New Vision of Sexuality in Older Age” and, in March, I and two other Consortium members presented a workshop, “Older, Wiser, Sexually Smarter: What Every Professional Needs to Know About Sexuality and Aging” at ASA’s huge annual conference in Chicago.
But most exciting was the booth sponsored by PPGNNJ in a daring effort to market the manual. Attracting great attention with bright signs heralding, SEX, SEX, SEX, The CSE table was staffed by Administrative Assistant, Joyce Korbylo, wearing a brilliant t-shirt announcing “SEX @ Table 112!” We surely did create interest!
Kudos to The CSE! Here’s hoping many others will follow the leader!
Peggy Brick is the founder of the Consortium on Sexuality and Aging and is the lead author of Older, Wiser, Sexually Smarter, which is available at www.SexuallySmarter.com. She was the director of The Center for Sex Education from 1985 until 1998.
