Many things are affected by chronic illnesses and disabilities. However, the things most focused on by the wide world are productivity, symptoms, morbidity, and mortality. These are clearly worthwhile, but what about Quality of Life (QOL)?
Chronic Sex aims to open up frank discussions and ruminations about how QOL is affected, specifically focusing on self-love, self-care, relationships, sexuality, and sex itself.
This movement was started by Grayson Schultz of Not Standing Still’s Disease.
About Grayson
Grayson has been collecting chronic illnesses since the ripe age of five. In 1993, he was diagnosed with Asthma and had his first flare-up of Systemic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Since that time, he has added on fun diagnoses including Fibromyalgia, Depression, Anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The total is approaching 20 and somehow growing. Grayson’s first blog was How to Ace Life but he started NSSD in 2009. He works with a number of organizations including the Arthritis Foundation, Creaky Joints, and Joint Decisions.
An avid volunteer, he has been interested in sexuality and sexual education since high school (which is longer ago than he’d care to admit). After attending a presentation by Lucky Tomaszek of Tool Shed Toys, Grayson realized how little was known or talked about with regard to sexuality and illness or disability. He also knew from his own journey with relationships and illness, though, that illness and disability also affect these things by affecting our relationships with ourselves and others.
Chronic Sex was born shortly thereafter.
What Does Chronic Sex Do?
We have a monthly chat on Twitter (currently on hiatus). Our podcast can be found on iTunes and SoundCloud and just about everywhere you listen to your podcasts. We also have a strong social media presence.
Grayson has presented at a number of conferences including the Juvenile Arthritis Conference (2016), Women in Pain (2016), Medicine X (2016), University of Guelph Sexuality Conference (2017), and Woodhull Sexual Freedom Summit (2017). He has also worked with a variety of companies and organizations, such as Pfizer, Janssen, Stanford University, For Grace, Arthritis Foundation, Healthline, HealthCentral, and more.
If you’re looking to write a piece, have information featured on the website, or want to talk about the podcast, please send me an email.