By Clare Hughes London

Sitcoms can be a good source of sex education for teenagers, according to researchers in the United States. Adolescents learnt or were reminded about the risks accompanying sexual activity after watching a particular episode of Friends.

The researchers said, "Television can teach the risks and responsibilities that accompany sexual activity in a way that books, pamphlets, and classroom instruction cannot, by portraying the experiences of sexually active individuals with whom adolescents can identify.

"Entertainment television also has the advantage of being able to model socially responsible behaviour without explicitly advocating it."

Researchers interviewed more than 300 Americans aged 12 to 17 who watched the episode where Rachel told former boyfriend Ross that she was pregnant. Up to a third of viewers learnt that condoms are only 97% effective because they saw Rachel get pregnant after a one night stand (Pediatrics 2003;112:1115-21).

Researchers telephoned teenagers shortly after the episode was broadcast and asked them if they remembered whether Ross and Rachel had used a condom, how effective condoms were said to be, and whether the episode had changed their opinion of condom effectiveness.

The cast of Friends: Ross and Rachel
are the two on the right, as if you didn't know

As many as 17% of regular viewers of Friends said they learnt something new about condoms from the episode. Half of them discovered that condoms were more effective than first thought, and the other half thought the opposite.

Teenagers who watched with an adult were twice as likely to remember the effectiveness of condoms and were more likely to learn something new from the episode by talking with an adult.

The researchers said, "Television may supplement and enhance the effects of information from other sources by instigating discussions of condom efficacy between teens and their parents, opening the door for sex education within the family." The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that the broadcasting industry should adopt guidelines for responsible sexual content.

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