Nicole's Choice: A Film About STDs

“I had Chlamydia…and nothing fell off,” says one character in Nicole's Choice, a realistic cool-ed STD awareness and prevention program designed to accompany sex-ed curriculum for inner-city kids. Opening with a fairly racy sequence (zippers being unzipped, moaning, etc.), this short film finds urban teen protagonist Nicole's first one-night stand resulting in gonorrhea--a consequence that doesn't turn up until Nicole's initial visit to a birth control clinic in preparation for sexual relations with her devoted new boyfriend. Not surprisingly, the STD opens up a can of worms for Nicole, who candidly narrates and learns from the clinician about the difference between bacterial (treatable with medication) and viral (incurable, but the symptoms are treatable) infections, the importance of early detection, follow-up exams, and the direct correlation between having plenty of sexual partners and an increased likelihood of STDs. We also follow Nicole's disclosure to her boyfriend (which doesn't go over well at first) and her best buddy Lynette (who seems to act like Nicole's contagious, although it's later revealed that, hey, she was sleeping with the same one-night stand!). Nicely produced, this multi-award-winning film handles a sensitive subject in a mature but also teen-friendly manner. Highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Williams)