How entertainment can facilitate difficult health conversations with teens

Sometimes the best way to broach sensitive health topics with young people is through an unconventional avenue – such as Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program, as mentioned in yesterday’s post.

The great thing about live theatre, according to Hannah Cordero of Kaiser Permanente, is that you can take a very difficult subject, like HIV/AIDS, and make it relevant and approachable to teens.

Cordero is part of Northern California’s Educational Theatre Program, which among many educational performances offers “Secrets,” a production that uses the power of live theatre to communicate the facts and dispel the myths about HIV/AIDS and sexual transmitted infections. The characters in the performance model effective negotiation skills and encourage young people to discuss difficult topics with their partners, friends, and adults in their lives. Since it’s inception in 1985, over 1.5 million people have seen “Secrets” throughout Northern California.

In this video, Cordero talks about how they’ve make “Secrets” relevant to students over the years. She adds that while students are now more aware about HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections, their program helps aid students in communicating skills.

ETP is offered to schools and communities free of charge in each of Kaiser Permanente’s eight regions.  The program covers important health topics, such as healthy eating, physical activity, diversity, peer pressure, conflict management, bullying prevention, domestic violence, dealing with grief and loss, depression, sexually transmitted diseases, literacy promotion, and drug, alcohol and tobacco abuse.  Check out their work and educational productions here.

Source: http://centerfortotalhealth.org/2013/how-entertainment-can-facilitate-difficult-health-conversations-with-teens/

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