Top movies lack safe sex message and condone drug misuse

Main Category: Sexual Health / STDs
Article Date: 05 Oct 2005 - 0:00 PDT

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Depictions of sex and drug use in popular movies have lacked public health messages, reveals a new study in the October issue of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

The study, which looked at movies over the last 20 years, urges the motion picture industry to depict safer sex practices and show the harmful consequences of illicit drug use.

"The movie industry influences the perception of billons of people around the world," said Dr Gunasekera[1].

"The top 200 movies in cinematic history have grossed in excess of $70 billion US dollars [£39 billion] in box office takings.

"With globalisation and the growth of home-based media technologies, movies are more accessible to a wider audience and there is convincing evidence that the entertainment media influences behaviour," he said.

Dr Gunasekera analysed the portrayal of sex and drug use in the top 200 movies of all time[2].

Films released or set prior to the HIV era [pre 1983], animated features, those not about humans and G or PG rated[3], were excluded. Of the 87 movies reviewed, there were 53 episodes of sex, where the researchers found:

-- Only one suggestion of condom use, which was the only reference to any form of birth control;

-- In 98% of sexual episodes, which could have resulted in pregnancy, no form of birth control was used or suggested;

-- No depictions of important consequences of unprotected sex such as unwanted pregnancies, HIV or other STDs.

Movies with cannabis (8%) and other non-injected illicit drugs (7%) were less common than those with alcohol intoxication (32%) and tobacco use (68%) but tended to portray their use positively and without negative consequences.

Fifty-two (52) percent of cannabis usage was shown in a positive light and 48% in neutral light with no negative consequences.

The study revealed that only one in four movies was free from negative health behaviours such as unprotected sex between new partners, cannabis use, non-injected drug use, smoking and alcohol intoxication.

"The study showed there were no references to important consequences of unsafe sex such as HIV transmission, spread of STD's or unwanted pregnancy," Dr Gunasekera.

"The social norm being presented in movies is concerning given the HIV and illicit drug pandemics in developing and industrialised countries.

"The motion picture industry should be encouraged to depict safer sex practices and the real consequences of unprotected sex and illicit drug use."

'Sex and drugs in popular movies: an analysis of the top 200 films' by Hasantha Gunasekera, Simon Chapman and Sharon Campbell is published in the October 2005 issue (Volume 98) of the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

JRSM is the flagship journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. It has been published continuously since 1809. Its Editor is Dr Kamran Abbasi.

About The Royal Society of Medicine

Founded in 1805, the Royal Society of Medicine is an independent organisation that promotes the exchange of knowledge, information and ideas in medical science and continued improvement in human health. http://www.rsm.ac.uk