ABSTRACT

A R E W E T H E R E Y E T ? 3 is a remarkable play and workshop combination,created by artists and health educators out of a sense of urgency about the need for more effective sexuality education for teens. In Canada, teens are far more likely than three decades ago to engage in sex before they finish high school; now, approximately 25 per cent of Canadians will have had sexual intercourse by the age of 16 (McKay 2000), with the majority initiating sexual intercourse between 16 and 19 (Maticka-Tyndale 1997). More to the point, increasing numbers are engaging in risky sexual intercourse, which can lead to sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS (Moore et al. 1998). Adolescents with multiple sexual partners are compounding their risks because they are more likely to have had sex for the first time before the age of thirteen, and more likely to have not used a condom and to have consumed alcohol or drugs during their most recent sexual encounter.4 Longterm repercussions caused by these choices affect physical and mental health. And all this despite the fact that youth have more information on sexual issues than ever before. While the majority of teens in North America hold values consistent with responsible, healthy sexual conduct, many are unable to translate these attitudes into positive personal behaviours (Zabin et al. 1984; Christopher and Cate 1984; McCabe and Killackey 2004). Further, most programs aimed specifically at reducing sexual activity are found to be ineffective (Franklin et al. 1997).