Posted on 05/08/2005 1:21:28 PM PDT by Crackingham
With at least six classmates pregnant, including the valedictorian with her second child, it was clear to a handful of girls that Mission High School needed more information on safe sex. So the four students at this school deep in South Texas along the Mexican border — where the teen pregnancy rate is among the highest in the nation — decided they could help send the message by making their own movie.
Two years later, the 16-minute educational film promoting condom use is available to public schools around the state. The movie, named "Toothpaste" in reference to a teen code word for condoms, has been ordered by schools around the country. It will also be shown at film festivals and on Showtime, according to the organization that helped produce the film.
"Hopefully, people will get something out of it," said Amanda Ramirez, one of the teens.
The script by Kristal Villarreal, Laura Coria, Gladys Sanchez and Ramirez won an annual contest by Scenarios USA, a national organization that works to educate teens about pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Professional directors, producers and camera operators helped polish the film.
"Toothpaste" features two teen girls' decisions on whether to have sex with their boyfriends. Jennifer and her boyfriend, who have been dating a year, decide to wait. Cristina decides to have unprotected sex with her boyfriend of three weeks after he says he loves her.
"I guess it had a good message to it," said Robert Cerda, who plays one of the boys in the movie and has a real-life friend who got his girlfriend pregnant. "Be careful about the decisions you make, all the time, mentally, sexually."
With its soundtrack of Spanish hip-hop and rolling background of the border, the film is a frank discussion about sexuality from a region where 37 of 1,000 girls get pregnant by age 17, according to state health department statistics.
That's the highest teen pregnancy rate in Texas and among the highest in the nation. Experts attribute the high rate to lack of knowledge about contraception and a cultural acceptance of young parents in a region that's 90 percent Hispanic.
The film is unusual because sex-education curriculum in Texas focuses on abstinence. Districts can discuss contraception in class, but the state advises against it. Most South Texas school districts do not.
The girls, all of whom are now attending college, said they would like to see Texas add information on contraceptives to its sex education policy.
"We're hoping not just the Valley, but hopefully the state will also realize the law they have — it's not working," said Ramirez, now a 19-year-old student at South Texas College.
OK, so their are uneducated girls having sex and getting pregnant. That is sad. But what about that girl having her SECOND kid? No pity from me.
Please! They've never seen boxes of Trojans in their local drugstores? You don't even have to ask the pharmacist for them anymore.
"... and a cultural acceptance of young parents in a region that's 90 percent Hispanic.
Well, then no change in the "law" is going to overcome that.
They don't want your pity. They just want your tax dollars.
I have no problem with these girls making this film. I do have problems with it being shown in public schools. There is no such thing as "safe sex" and the schools are actually promoting sex by encouraging condoms IMO. Sex education is a parents job.
abstinence works 100% of the time it's tried.
I did a little search for two related terms: "Scenarios USA" and "Planned Parenthood." Amazing how many times those terms came together.
And I don't believe they don't know about contraception.
Even a bird is smart enough to not lay and egg without a nest.
Looks to me like a good presentation of the choice young women have. Wait or risk getting pregnant. If it showed a third couple that used "toothpaste" I'd have a problem with it being shown in school. I have no problem with this, though.
"Toothpaste"? wtf?
I guess you learn something new every day...
That's what I said. If a parent wants to show it to their kids, that's fine. IMO the schools should get out of the sex business and get back to teaching our kids to read and write.
Now that right there tells you something about this school's--(ehem) skrool's--academic standards.
Kids in public schools practically have condoms thrown at them. Considering all the time and money spent teaching kids about "safe sex," perhaps it's not a matter of ignorance. Perhaps they just don't care.
heh heh heh...That is all any pols want...it's called a "MO"...modus operandi...the only difference between any of them is how they present it.
You get to choose!....Heart attack(D) or cancer(R)?
FMCDH(BITS)
NY or MA?
And that's the VALEDICTORIAN. What about the poor girl getting all D's?? YIKES!
You will DEFINITELY get flamed for that! Ha!
4 years after starting high school in the Hartford CT public school system more girls have babies than have diplomas.
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