Media Project Announces Winners of SHINE Awards for Sexual Health in Entertainment
The Media Project, a collaborative effort between Advocates for Youth and the Kaiser Family Foundation, on Saturday announced the winners of its annual Sexual Health IN Entertainment, or SHINE, awards, which honor "outstanding television portrayals of sexual and reproductive health issues." This year featured the introduction of two new categories honoring Spanish-language programs. The 10 category winners are listed below:- Comedy episode: "Sex and the City," HBO, "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda" -- A woman tells her friends that she is pregnant after having sex without a condom and two of the women reveal that they have had abortions.
- Drama episode: "Queer as Folk," Showtime, "Episode 207" -- A group of gay men discuss safe sex with an HIV-positive partner.
- Daytime Drama: "Guiding Light," CBS, "Tony and Marah's Prom Night" -- A young couple fights over whether to abstain from sex.
- Entertainment Special: "Things Behind the Sun," Showtime -- A female singer/songwriter writes a successful song about rape, leading to a discussion of her history of sexual assault.
- Informational/Documentary: "Undetectable," PBS -- The film examines how antiretroviral therapy has affected the physical and psychological outlooks of three women and three men.
- Series Storyline: "Strong Medicine," Lifetime, "Lu's Rape" -- A woman reports being raped by an acquaintance and undergoes testing at a hospital.
- Scene Stealer: "Strong Medicine," Lifetime, "Control Group" -- Faculty members discuss an incident in which a female student was expelled from a high school honor society for being pregnant while a male student was not expelled from any activities after impregnating a female student.
- Youth Program: "Flipped," MTV, "Safe Sex" -- A boy and girl warn other young people to always use condoms after they receive news that they tested negative for HIV.
- Spanish Novela: "The Montini Circus," Television Nacional De Chile -- A couple discusses unprotected sex.
- Spanish Talk/Variety Show: "Coming Out of the Closet," Mun2 Television, Telemundo Network -- A talk show focusing on homosexuality and partner communication.
"Many of this year's nominated shows are credited with tackling particularly sensitive topics, from abortion to HIV/AIDS to oral sex to coming out. It is wonderful that the television community can present important sexual health information without compromising entertainment value," Media Project Director Robin Smalley said (Media Project release, 10/19). A kaisernetwork.org HealthCast of the awards ceremony is available online.
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