Let's Talk About Sex

In this TLC-aired documentary on sex education in America, Australian commercial photographer and filmmaker James Houston notes the ubiquity of sexual imagery everywhere he goes and wonders why Americans don't talk about sex as much as Europeans. Houston believes doing so would help reduce the nation's proportionately higher rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases: the stunning statistics reveal that every day, 10,000 American teens contract an STD, 2,400 young women get pregnant, and 55 young people become infected with HIV. During the film, Houston travels around the country and speaks with teenagers, parents, educators, religious leaders, and community outreach directors to hear their perspectives. Many believe that sex education often starts too late, provides inaccurate information (“HIV can be transmitted through tears”), and emphasizes abstinence over protected sex; in addition, homosexuality often goes unmentioned. Houston also examines how adults talk to minors about the subject, often choosing words that paint sex in a negative light. Traveling to the Netherlands, Houston meets parents who take the opposite approach, talking openly to their kids about sex, checking that they have condoms, and allowing opposite-sex sleepovers. Houston ends in Oregon, where some of the lessons learned in Europe are informing attempts to create solutions to the health crisis facing America's youth. A thought-provoking and revealing look at attitudes regarding adolescent sexuality, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)