The Best Guide for the NW10 Area

Blue movie is a hit with MPs

Published: 9th March 2007 10:29

A film about a blue condom is being screened in Brent secondary schools to help combat the spread of sexually transmitted disease amongst over 16s - and government ministers and MPs have already had a private viewing. The council believes that as a result of the film, titled Blue Movie, around 850 young people in Brent who had not previously accessed the sexual health service have now visited their local clinic to be screened for Chlamydia and other STIs.

Local MPs, Dawn Butler and Sarah Teather, along with young people from Brent, screened the DVD at the House of Commons where senior politicians, including Ministers, were invited to view the completed project. Feedback was very positive and this has been the case whenever the film has been shown.

The innovative puppet film was produced by Brent young people from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. It was commissioned by the council from local organisation, SHOC (Sexual Health On Call), which runs a structured condom distribution scheme and an educational programme in the borough that promotes an awareness and understanding of safer sex.

In the NW10 postcode, one young person in every ten is infected with Chlamydia. Many are unaware of the infection, which can cause infertility in women yet manifests no visible symptoms.

Christine Chapman, Sexual Health Manager at Brent, said: "The 'Blue Movie' DVD has been very successful in engaging young people. It covers many issues around sexual health and the young people were involved in every aspect of the project from devising the storyboard, writing the script, designing and making the puppets and acting.

"I hope we can produce lots of these and use them as a resource in the future and I'll be taking it to Sweden with me this month to gauge the reaction from a European perspective. The sexual health of young people is of national concern, particularly in Brent with numbers of sexually transmitted infections so high amongst our young people. The DVD is a resource created by young people for young people. It will have the impact that other young people will identify with."

Christine added: "The outcome of the project is a creative, innovative puppet film containing crucial sexual health messages, but at the same time entertaining and visually striking. The film also discusses integrity, self-esteem, responsibility, taboo, prejudice and invites young people to think for themselves about choices they can make to safeguard their sexual health."

A DVD of the film, including a detailed lesson plan and worksheet for teachers, is being distributed to schools around Brent over the coming weeks.

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