These three award-winning Australian productions approach serious subjects through the use of humor geared towards teenagers and, for the most part, it works wells. Contraception-Ready or Not uses a roving reporter who queries teens about pregnancy and contraception, and receives a variety of wrong answers. Contraceptive methods are briefly summarized, and the program features an imaginative interview with an ovum and a sperm. Close Encounters of the Sexual Kind is a sequel to Contraception, and it uses the same "man on the street" format to question teens about sexually transmitted diseases. The film stresses the importance of condoms and open communication. The last film, It Doesn't Hurt to Know examines P.I.D. (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease), for which women aged 15-25 are most at risk, and encourages viewers to remember the three "C"'s: condoms, check-ups, and open communication. While some of the flip humor might offend parents, this format is likely to be more digestible by the audience to which it is aimed: young teens. Some Australian terminology, such as the use of "chemists" for pharmacists, might need to be explained to viewers. Although ostensibly aimed towards high-school through college students, the latter are likely to find the humor a bit too adolescent. Recommended for high schools; an optional purchase for public libraries. (Available from: Filmaker's Library, 124 East 40th St., New York, NY 10016.)
Close Encounters Of The Sexual Kind; Contraception-Ready Or Not; It Doesn't Hurt To Know
(1987) 13 m. $125 (or $300 for entire series). Filmakers Library, Inc. Public performance rights included. Vol. 4, Issue 7
Close Encounters Of The Sexual Kind; Contraception-Ready Or Not; It Doesn't Hurt To Know
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