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A theatrical program sponsored by Kaiser Permanente debunked myths and candidly discussed the realities of engaging in early sex during a recent performance for National City teens. At Sweetwater High School, some 700 students in grades nine through 12 watched an hour-long Kaiser Permanente Educational Theater play entitled "What Goes Around." Five professionally trained actors performed for the kids, alternating between satire, musical numbers, and monologues. The discussions ranged from safe sex and abstinence to the repercussions of unsafe sexual practices.
The program weaved in radio hits, statistics, and videos. The tale of "Eli" and "Alicia" concludes with each having contracted an STD and realizing the sexual pasts of their partners made them susceptible to infections. At the end, students received wallets with information on how to contact a clinic and access additional resources.
"We hope to empower them," said lead actress Nikki Mckenzie. "We are not here with an agenda, so we are not here to tell them how to live their lives. We are just here to give them some medical information so they can make educated choices."
"What I hope they walk away with is that they need to take control of themselves and be responsible for what they do, and if that means they are going to have sex, then they need to make good choices about that and there's plenty of places in the county to get protection," said Michelle Bell, district coordinator of health services.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
