Educational Media Reviews Online

Straight Talk: The Truth About STDs is a remarkable resource to have as part of a senior high school library. An educational resource that addresses a serious yet sensitive issue as is in this case, should take into consideration the target audience and the message they want the viewers to take away after viewing it. The issue of sexually transmitted disease is controversial, but at the same time important for senior high school aged teens to be made aware of. One of the best features about this resource is that the information presented is easy to understand and not overly clinical or judgmental. The video has a great attention grabbing introduction; it’s immediately informative and gets right to the point. The primary diseases addressed in the film are gonorrhea, HIV, HPV, and syphilis—the most prevalent STDs among sexually active young adults today.

The video plays like a short movie with age appropriate characters who act out realistic scenarios that young people can relate to. I couldn’t help but think of my high school days in the 1980’s and wish that a program like Straight Talk were available then. It’s obvious that the producers knew how important confidentiality is to high school students who may be sexually active. There is one scenario in the video that I think speaks volumes in regards to utilizing community resources. One of the characters visits a clinic to get checked out because he suspects that he may have contracted an STD. While he sits in the waiting room, he reads a pamphlet and discovers what he has contracted before seeing a clinician. As a librarian and former K-12 instructor, I think this is important concept for young viewers. Educators can use this as an example of a research project for students to gain exposure to primary sources.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention produced a number of DVDs that address the issue of STDs for educational purposes. These government resources are very informative and are ideal tools to use in a classroom setting. I honestly have to say that Straight Talk is just as informative as the CDC resources.

A Teacher’s Resource Book supplements the DVD and is full of assignments and activities that will challenge young adults to think critically about what was presented in the video. There is a section in the Resource Book dedicated to activities for students, including self tests. The research activities are fun for students and can be used by educators to incorporate information literacy skills into a unit of study for the health sciences and even social studies.

Awards

• CINE Golden Eagle Award