American Parkinson Disease Association Launches One-of-a-Kind Card Game to Help People with Parkinson's Build Intimacy and Connection

ParkinSex: The Game – Free Card Game Now Available

NEW YORK, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) has launched a one-of-a-kind resource for people living with Parkinson's disease (PD): ParkinSex: The Game. This unique offering was designed to help address the challenges couples can face with physical and emotional intimacy when navigating life with PD. ParkinSex: The Game is available for free for the Parkinson's community.

Parkinson's disease can affect many aspects of a relationship, including physical and emotional intimacy. Symptoms such as fatigue, stiffness, changes in movement, and shifts in mood can make it more difficult for partners to connect in the ways they once did. Over time, couples may find themselves feeling distant — even when they deeply care for one another. As a result, in 2023, APDA created ParkinSex^™ — a unique kit and booklet designed to help people reconnect and rebuild intimacy in ways that feel right for them. Due to the overwhelming response to the original ParkinSex kit, APDA developed a companion resource: a ParkinSex card game. All ParkinSex resources were created with critical input from couples impacted by Parkinson's, a clinical sexologist, other medical and health professionals, and the generous support and creative expertise of Havas Lynx New York.

ParkinSex: The Game is a fun, low-pressure way for couples impacted by PD to spend time together that can help foster connection and intimacy. It was designed to help couples gently rebuild connection through cards that prompt playful activities to spark conversation, encourage closeness, and help partners explore intimacy in ways that feel comfortable and meaningful. Each card in the deck features a common item*, such as a candle, blindfold, or bubble bath, and a corresponding prompt, such as: "Light a candle to set the mood and share some together time." By creating a playful space for communication, the game can help couples overcome common barriers and rediscover connection. The game includes instructions for play (and a video tutorial), but players are welcome to create their own rules. The goal is simply to enjoy time together and have fun with the prompts on each card. *The items on the cards are part of the original ParkinSex kit but are also fairly common household items (or can be easily substituted), so people can still play the card game without having the ParkinSex kit.

"When Parkison's enters a relationship, there is a lot to deal with emotionally and physically. It is very easy and very common for romance, intimacy, and connection to take a backseat," states Rosa Peña, Senior Vice President of Programs and Services, APDA. "There was a lack of useful resources to help people deal with this significant shift in their relationship, and that's what drove us to create the original ParkinSex kit, and now the companion ParkinSex card game. We hope these special tools help people with PD rekindle that special connection and find ways to revive intimacy in new ways – whatever that may mean for them – in a low-pressure way."

ParkinSex: The Game can be ordered at www.apdaparkinson.org/ParkinSex. There is no cost, but quantities are limited. The original ParkinSex kit and booklet are still available and can be ordered as well.

To learn more about APDA, visit www.apdaparkinson.org, email [email protected], or call 800-223-2732.

About the American Parkinson Disease Association
The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting Parkinson's disease (PD) by providing the support, education, research, and community that helps everyone impacted by PD live life to the fullest. Through a nationwide grassroots network of Chapters and Information & Referral (I&R) Centers, APDA works tirelessly to raise public awareness of this chronic neurologic movement disorder and deliver outstanding patient services, resources, and educational and wellness programs to the approximately one million people living with PD in the United States and their care partners and families. Envisioning a world without PD, APDA's national research program and Centers for Advanced Research aim to provide better treatments and unlock the mysteries of the disease. APDA is also committed to advancing public policy solutions that improve lives and move us toward a cure. Founded in 1961, APDA has raised and invested more than $338 million in its efforts to support the PD community. Learn more at www.apdaparkinson.org.

SOURCE American Parkinson Disease Association, Inc.