Is This Educational Film Appropriate for a High School Freshman Health Class?

My husband was diagnosed with Stage 2 testicular cancer last summer and now my son is at a higher risk of developing it. This is a serious subject especially because it is a young man's disease and they need to learn about it and all the discomfort/embarrassment that goes with it.. It is a uncomfortable topic and really uncomfortable if you are a boy getting an exam, but I think that is part of the movie. It is all uncomfortable and embarrassing but the alternative (death) is even worse. I would definitely be ok with my both my son and daughter seeing this film.

I liked the jazzy music in it - LOL.
Seriously though, I was a rather prudish freshman girl and I would not want to see a guy's junk full in front of me when I really don't need to worry about it - ya know? That said, I may be a prudish adult, because I didn't really want to see a guys junk in front of my face this morning either. It does feel a little graphic, but again, a different frame of reference.

I would probably have gotten up and left since I am not at risk for testicular cancer and at 14 -16 as a girl, didn't need to know.

At the very least, I'd expect them to seperate the class out by gender with discussing certain types of cancers that are only relevant to a certain population at this stage in the game.

The information is appropriate (though showing a female doctor probably creates too many giggles and distracts the kids). But I am surprised they are not separating the genders for health class when the class is covering this. The reason they should separate them: So kids will feel able to ask questions. You know they won't do so if they are sitting in the same class with members of the opposite sex.

Do they also discuss PAP smears, cervical and ovarian cancers and the fact that oral sex is now linked to oral cancers thanks to human papillomavirus? They should be covering that too -- but in gender-separate classes for that same vital reason: Kids will not ask questions in mixed gender classes. They'll be too embarrassed.

This is very important stuff. I disagree with the person who posted that teen boys don't need to know about testicular cancer because it's not that pervasive. Yes, they do, and many of them will never hear about it other than in school health classes. Same goes for the girls: Their moms and dads may not be telling them about HPV, or women's cancers, or even what a normal period is like. This is why schools have health classes.

The students are 9th graders, I would hope they are more emotionally mature and understand what goes on in health class.

If you make a big deal out of it then it will become a big deal. I am sure you can opt out but around here, a 1 semester Health class is required to graduate.

I did not watch the video because it prompted me to create an account and I am not doing that.

However, my daughter, current Junior, took the required health class in the summer of her 9th grade year and yes, it had some topics that made the students cringe a little but it was necessary information. It opened the door for a lot more communication between us. We already had wide open communication and she knew she could come to me with anything but she did have some questions/concerns about some of the topics and it was things she wouldn't necessarily think about to come ask me.

So, no.. I have no issues with students being exposed to videos which will broaden their minds and teach them something. I see nothing taboo with a health video but then again, I am as far from prudish as you can get. (not saying you are prudish)

Boys have testicles? Eeeeeeek!

:)

Nah, wouldn't mind one bit.

when i clicked onthe link it asked me to sign in or make an account.. which i dont plan on doing.. but in my opinion.. we had to watch the miracle of life in 8thgrade and no parents had a problem with it so i dont see that video being a big deal or anything .. i will say though just from seeing the title and picture of the video its a little weird that its a female doctor, i mean obviously there are female docs that do these exams but come on these are freshman in highschool im sure the boys in class will have alot to say about that
id be more worried about what a freshman in highschool is doing in their spare time then what videos are being shown in health class.. cuz i know at that age i sure was no0o angel

My son was only 22 when he had testicular cancer. Its unreal how many teens are being diagnosed now and most of them have no clue what this is, or what to look for. This type of information is so unbelievably important, and will save many lives. Our world has changed and chemicals in our environment are causing so many cancers at younger ages now. We need to educate our children differently nowadays to be able to survive in this new world we live in.

It IS health class. We do send our kids to school to be educated. Many parents do not teach kids what they need to know so it's up to the school to do it & make sure the kids know about stuff. I wouldn't have a problem w/it if it were me.

Yea not interested in creating accounts to view it. However sometimes more tongue in cheek videos help to make serious more uncomfortable situations/discussion more tolerable to young adults. My hopes since I have not viewed it, is it will take the taboo out a discussion that is very important to adress. I am sure my son would be uncomfortable but relieved to know he is not the only boy that has been checked by a female doctor. And I do think it is important that boys and girls get very factual information, not only about their bodies but the opposite sex. They will have relantionships someday, and marriages and children. Why not arm them with straight forward information. I am all for coed classes of this sort. I think it helps break the ice and teach them that it is okay to discuss these issues amonst one another. I do think it helps prepare them for life and relantionships.

Still debating on creating an account to watch it, sure has peeked my interest.

It's fine -and I'm sure it will get some laughs. I've taught high school health classes, and I wouldn't have a problem showing it. And yes, VERY young men do get testicular cancer! Maybe not many in high school, but in college and the military they need to know what to watch out for. I don't think it's any more inappropriate than teaching kids what skin cancer and pre-cancer looks like. I had rather my sons know than be embarrassed and let it go until it was too late.

I didn't click on your link but from the way you describe it I would not like it, especially in classes with both genders.

Way to advertise the behemoth cancer industry too . . . gosh it all makes me sick.

So glad we homeschool.

Testicular cancer is terrible, but is it so pervasive that all 9th graders need to have a class on it? C'mon . . .

ETA: I do not buy the argument that this might be the only way most kids hear about this issue. Today, unfortunately, the vast majority of teens have to go to the doctor for sports physicals, vaccine boosters, etc. This is a topic best covered by a physician, not a school - particularly when our scores are so low in academic areas.

I think it's probably fine. I imagine by the time kids have hit ninth grade, while most of them don't have personal experience, they all know what testicles are.

It reminds me of my son's first day of health class. He came home laughing and I asked why. He said, "Our health teacher said we could ask any question we wanted to and that she would answer it, so we spent the whole period having kids ask questions like 'What's a douche bag.'" Oh, ninth grade health, how we knew ye.

I think it's fine. I also think it is good that girls will see it too. There may be a girl who finds her boyfriend's cancer because of it.

I don't find the video at all offensive and find it rather informative. I do believe that while there may be some snickering from a few students most of them will be better of for learning about it, male and female alike. I don't understand the strong opposition from some posters.

I don't really see the problem.

These are 9th graders (so 14 year olds, give or take). It's not like they don't know what testicles are. There's no reason to separate the kids. And it's a serious subject that needs to be addressed, just like breast cancer.

We watched a testicular self exam video and a breast self exam video in a co-ed class in 8th grade... it was uncomfortable, but not in appropriate.

That being said...

THIS video is too weird for me. Why do we get the full frontal shot of the guy? What's with the background music? I'm not a huge fan of this particular video.