Risky Frisky

Surprise!! The people having the riskiest sex are not teenagers and 20-somethings. It’s baby boomers who ought to know better.

A survey commissioned by the Canadian Liver Foundation found that newly single boomers are very naive about the risks of unprotected sex.Seventy per cent of the survey respondents said that they were telling their kids to practice safe sex, at the same time that 30 per cent of the unmarried boomers admited they’ve had unprotected sex with a new partner. And about the same percentage were unconcerned about the potential for contracting a sexually transmitted infection.

Some of the findings in the survey:

• 82 per cent of baby boomers believe it’s important to have an active sex life at every age.

• 57 per cent feel freer about sex.

• 81 per cent say it’s important their kids use protection during sex; 70 per cent have doled out such advice.

• 16 per cent admit they don’t always follow their own advice to practice safe sex.

• 30 per cent of unmarried boomers have had unprotected sex with a new partner.

• 33 per cent of unmarried boomers have done online dating.

• 40 per cent of men and five per cent of women are open to one-night stands.

Now if at this point you’re thinking, “But these are Canadians.” Yes, that’s true. But do you think American baby boomers do any better on the “do-as-I-say, not-as-I-do” quotient? I don’t think so.

Good or bad, it appears that boomers are inventing their own rules for sexuality after age 50. I could be wrong, but it sounds like we’re living out the 60s all over again.

Groovy, baby!

Jay Harrison is a graphic designer and writer whose work can be seen at DesignConcept and at BoomSpeak. He's written a mystery novel, which therefore makes him a pre-published author.