20 THE QUEENS COURIER • AUGUST 13, 2015 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT www.queenscourier.com Jamaica workshop teaches seniors that ‘Sex never gets old’ BY THE QUEENS COURIER STAFF [email protected] @queenscourier With National Senior Citizens Day being observed nationwide on Aug. 21, a Jamaica women’s health center is reminding Queens’ mature population national senior citizens day that their love lives can last well into their golden years. The Choices Women’s Medical Center recently launched a new program, “Sex Never Gets Old,” which combines factual and frank information to seniors about practicing safe sex. The instructional program includes information on the different types of sexually transmitted diseases and their symptoms, available treatments and testing, and prevention tips. Each of the workshops are delivered with a bit of wry humor and include a question-and-answer session that is comprehensive, lively, honest and sometimes poignant. Educating seniors about STDs is critical since the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently indicated an increase in STD infection among seniors across the country. Incidences of diseases such as syphilis, chlamydia and herpes are up as much as 50 percent. According to published reports, the CDC estimates that by 2017, half of all patients with HIV will be 50 years of age or older. “With just a bit of prompting, the seniors abandon the generational taboos about talking openly about sex and admit that it is a vital part of their lives, that it helps with loneliness and that it just plain feels good,” Choices Outreach Workshop leaders Kelly Mallinson and Marylou Greenberg said in a statement. To make sure that everyone’s hearts are well enough for sex, Choices is also launching a new cardiology services and testing department in mid-September under the direction of cardiologist well-known Dr. Perry Frankel. Located at 147-32 Jamaica Ave. in Jamaica, Choices has offered over the past 44 years quality women’s reproductive health and health education to women in all stages of life. The free “Sex Never Gets Old” workshops are offered at senior retirement communities, assisted living centers and community centers across the fi ve boroughs and on Long Island. For more information on the workshops and Choices Cardiology, call 718-937-5000 or visit www.choicesmedical. com. Hearing better thanks to smarter technology Technology has made dramatic improvements in the lives of people of all ages, and the improvements made in hearing technology may be some of the most advanced to occur in the last several years. Just a decade ago, hearing aids were basic amplifi ers. Now they’re completely connected with other technological devices, making everyday life easier for the wearer. For example, have an iPhone and want to listen to music, or answer a call and hear the person on the line? Starkey’s Halo hearing aids, and the companion TruLink app, allow the hearing devices to connect directly with an iPhone without the need for any other intermediary device. There are more than 36 million Americans with hearing loss, yet only 20 percent of those who could benefi t from a hearing aid actually wear one, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. The hope is that the rapid improvements in technology mean that more people with hearing diffi culties will opt to undergo a simple hearing test and fi nd the perfect hearing aid, allowing them to return to the lifestyle of their choice. Many people avoid getting hearing aids because of the perceived stigma attached to them. People worry they’ll look older or that they will be perceived to have a disability. This is where technology improvements have made great strides. Devices today are much smaller than the hearing aids your parents or grandparents wore. In fact, many are barely visible to others. For example, the Halo is an in-the-canal receiver, making the entire device very discreet. Other devices are so small that no one will notice you are wearing them. Hearing loss affects Americans of all ages. Sometimes it’s caused by age, but frequently for younger adults, it can be caused by a disease or by overexposure to loud noises. Improvements in technology are changing the perception of hearing aids, so if you think you are experiencing hearing loss, get your hearing tested. If it’s determined you could benefi t from a hearing aid, check out all the latest benefi ts you can enjoy due to these technological improvements. Courtesy BPT
QC08132015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above