About Pinch Me Films
Statement
of Need
Teen pregnancy
The United States leads the industrialized world with the
highest rate of teen pregnancy today. One out of four American girls becomes
pregnant at least once before age 20 and nearly one million teenagers give
birth each year - some 100 births every hour. Fortunately, current research
has made great strides in determining the roots of teen pregnancy. However,
this information is rarely distributed in a compelling format to those who
need it most - American adolescents.
Sex education curriculum
Sex education initiatives often fall
flat because the curriculum is out-of-date or presented in an overly academic
style. As a result, many teens are dissatisfied with current sex education
curriculum. In fact, a 1999 survey by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
found that 46% of teens said their sex education class failed teach them
how to communicate with their friends and partners about the issue and that
they were not properly informed about realistic consequences of sex.
Talk to teenagers about sex
Current
research makes it clear that we must encourage and empower adolescents
to talk actively and openly about sex. Many studies find an association between
frequent, positive and open communication about sex with a reduction in
adolescent sexual intercourse, the postponement of their sexual debut and
adolescents having fewer sexual partners. The Silence of Sex will be a responsible
video that speaks honestly to adolescents, helping them to speak candidly
about the sexual choices that they face and empowering them to make healthy
sexual decisions.