Sex and the City: Exposing Sexual Health Risks

Admittedly when I was in high school I absolutely loved to watch Sex and the City. I never identified with the characters, but I found myself living vicariously through their life experiences. The show offered sexual scripts that showcased varying sexual behaviors such as abstinence, sexual curiosity, reserved sexual encounters and if you were Samantha, lots and lots of sexual partners. However, while looking at different excerpts I noticed that Sex and the City does a fairly good job at negotiating risks associated with sexual activity. Themes I saw ranged from heartbreak to unplanned pregnancies and even contracting sexually transmitted diseases. A teen consuming this media would be able to extract the most pertinent information that was embedded in each episode, without having to try them out first to learn the risks.

In the first excerpt Miranda tells Steve that she is pregnant. Miranda loosely discusses, and jokes about the effects of unsafe sex. Due to the fact that she has gotten pregnant Steve jokes that he would not be able to afford a ring for Miranda and afford the expenses of their future baby. This highlights the economic strain of having a baby when one isn’t ready. “Teens who see risky sexual practices that do not indicate negative consequences may be more likely to adopt the negative sexual behaviors”(Brown et. al, 2009). However, teens that watch this excerpt may be reluctant to engage in sexual behaviors after seeing that marriage and financial security are sacrificed as a negative implication of unprotected sex. Furthermore, for the teens that DO identify with the characters in this television show, they may learn the responsibilities of safe sex more so than teens that do not. “T.V. can teach the risks and responsibilities that accompany sexual activity in a way that books and classrooms cannot by portraying sexual experiences with characters that they identify with” (Collins et. al, 2003).  In this light, Miranda offers a character portrayal that may function as a super peer or a comforting guide to young teens that do not wish to engage in discussions surrounding sexual health risks with parents or even peers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHrrlUYwmko

In the second excerpt, Samantha who represents the highly sexual member of the friend group goes in for an HIV test. After realizing that she has had many sexual partners, she decides to go in to be safe. While the doctor is asking her routine questions, Samantha provides valuable knowledge on varying types of sexual practices that transmit diseases and different condom brands to use to limit the health risks.  If a young-adult were watching this show they would be able to extract information on various ways to contract STD’s (STI’s), as well as safe practices (such as condom usage, and types of condoms) to use in order to limit negative health risks, especially if they are sexually active like Samantha. Furthermore, while Samantha is answering her questions, she makes a light joke about “swallowing only when surprised.” By using some comedy in this segment it enables the producers to get their message across, while also using it as a tool to break the ice and engage the audience members. “Sitcoms can convey messages about sexual risk behaviors and promote communication about STI’s and pregnancy prevention” (Delgado, Austin, 2007).  All in all, although Sex and the City may be more applicable to young adults, more so than teens, I believe that it helps to bring an uncomfortable topic to the forefront, and engage audience members in healthy discussions surrounding sexual health with their partner, other peers, and even family members.

Collins, R. L., Elliott, M. N., Berry, S. H., Kanouse, D. E., & Hunter, S. B. (2003). Entertainment television as a healthy sex educator: The impact of condom-efficacy information in an episode of Friends. Pediatrics, 112(5), 1115-1121. doi: 10.1542/peds.112.5.1115

Brown, J. D., Keller, S., & Stern, S. (2009). Sex, sexuality, sexting, and sexed: Adolescents and the media. Prevention Researcher, 16(4), 12-16.

Delgado, H. M., & Austin, S. B. (2007). Can media promote responsible sexual behaviors among adolescents and young adults? Current Opinion in Pediatrics, 19(4), 405-410. doi: 10.1097/MOP.0b013e32823ed008

Sex and the City [Motion picture on DVD]. (1998). United States: HBO Original Programming.