Am I Ready for Sex?

Gr 7 Up—Student actors studying Off Broadway in New York City perform unscripted scenes to demonstrate different scenarios about the question, "Am I ready for sex?" The first vignette explores the question, "Is having sex what you want?" A young woman and a young man who have been dating for a few weeks discuss if it's time for sex. The young man advocates sex as the way to strengthen their relationship, but his girlfriend is not sure. The second scenario shows a young woman trying to convince her boyfriend to have sex, while refusing to talk about the personal questions he asks about protection and STDs. Another vignette considers the role of family and religious values, while the next one demonstrates a plethora of myths and fallacies about contraception. After each scene, the narrator asks questions for viewers to consider and re-runs significant film clips for review. Teens will relate to the young actors as well as the issues played out and discussed. The narrator raises important questions that teachers can expand upon for class discussion. An excellent choice for health and safety classes.—Ann Weber, Bellarmine College Prep., San Jose, CA