Child and adolescent physician Dr. Meg Meeker is one of the most passionate and compassionate friends of young people I’ve ever met. Several years ago, she began to see a growing number of patients who were contracting sexually transmitted diseases at younger and younger ages. Since then, Dr. Meeker has committed her life to helping teenagers avoid getting swept up in this epidemic that sees 8,000 teens a day contract an STD.

Dr. Meeker brings her passion to a balanced and hard-hitting 22-minute film, The Rules Have Changed. Produced by MASE (Mothers Against Sexual Exploitation), the film features real doctors, real kids and real stories in an engaging mix that gives the facts about diseases, treatments, oral sex and a variety of other sexual topics. The film also addresses the emotional costs of premarital sex and its link to the parallel epidemic of teen depression and suicide. The message is that teen sexual activity is about “loss.”

While the film clearly communicates a biblical sexual ethic by encouraging kids to postpone all sexual activity until marriage, its brilliance lies in the fact that this message is packaged in a non-sectarian format, making it totally appropriate for use in the public school classroom. Void of sensationalism, the film includes reasoned appeals from Dr. Meeker and other helping professionals as they answer the questions teenagers ask about sexual activity. The Rules Have Changed includes a diverse “cast,” making it more easily accessible and appealing to teens regardless of race or socio-economic status.

The Rules Have Changed DVD can be used with both teenagers and their parents in a variety of settings including youth groups, classrooms and retreats. In addition, the short format lends itself well to televised broadcast. Youth workers and parents concerned about their teenagers’ sexual health might even consider donating a copy of the DVD to their local school district or crisis pregnancy center. (Available from MASE at 636.386.1789 or www.stdepidemic.com.)

—Walt Mueller

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                ©2006, The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding