Concerns Of Women

This short instructional video aims to educate women in how to conduct breast and genital self-examinations in order to detect early signs of cancer and/or a wide variety of sexually transmitted diseases. While the idea is sound, the execution is less than laudable. For people who might feel uncomfortable watching a live model, the filmmakers have decided to use drawings which illustrate the various techniques discussed. It sounds reasonable, but raises the question of why a video? A pamphlet would have achieved the same end. The drawings, while tastefully done, are repetitive and somewhat confusing. An onscreen narrator who, unfortunately, has a thick Southern accent (which ends up calling more attention to her than what she's saying) briefly mentions the statistics about breast cancer, and then describes how to do a breast self-exam. In the second section, many of the symptoms of common STD's are outlined with some variation in the graphics used to accompany the narration (although many times the picture of a woman sitting on a toilet, apparently urinating, and obviously in pain, is used). Although we're not aware of a good genital self-exam video on the market, there are plenty of breast self-exam titles available which do not take a step backwards toward still pictures to demonstrate a physical activity, but clearly show the motions which will ensure that viewers are conducting a proper self-exam. This title is not recommended. (Available from: Specialty Resources, Inc. 1730 General George Patton Drive, Brentwood, TN 37027.)