Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT Scholar Works
Theses
Thesis/Dissertation Collections
11-11-1995
Safer sex
Fay Pattee
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Recommended Citation
Safer Sex
Fay Pattee
11/11/95
M.F.A. Degree Thesis
Computer Graphics Design
Rochester Institute of Technology
Jlffi
VerHague,
'l'hesls
Comnllttee Chalrman
7 -
(f}--z6
Bob Keough, ThesIs Comnuttee Member
Nancy ClOlek, ThesIs Commlttee Member
Mary Ann Segland, Chalrperson=Graphlc Design Department
Contents
1.0
Genesis
1
2.0
Content
4
2.1
Cognitive Development
6
2.2
Verbal Skills
8
2.3
Scripts
9
2.4
Visual Scripts
11
2.5
Re-evaluating
Scripts
andLimits
of aRelationship
. . .122.6
Facts
15
2.7
Results
16
3.0
Design Decisions
17
3.1
Interface
17
3.2
Navigation
20
3.3
Visual Focus
22
3.4
Help
23
3.5
Illustrative
Style
25
3.6
Three Dimension
26
3.7
Digital
Video
27
3.8
Audio
28
3.9
Color
29
1.0 Genesis
The alarming increase in
the
spread ofsexually
transmitted
diseases
(STDs)
andteen pregnancy,
along
withthe
appropriateness ofteaching
safersexthrough
interactive
media,
werethe
impetus for
this thesis.
Sex
educationis imperative
to the
health
of our society.The
thesis
hopes
to
revealthis
frequently
ignored
and shunnedtopic to
an audience whois
athigh
risk: pre-andearly
teens.
Perhaps
the taboo
onthe
subject of sexwill
finally
be
broken,
opening
the
floodgates
to
protectionfrom
teen
pregnancy
andSTDs.
It
is
estimatedthat
"fifty
percentofteenagers
do
not usebirth
controlthe
first
time
they
have
intercourse."1Therefore,
fifty
percent ofteenagers
are at risk of
contracting
asexually
transmitted
disease
andfifty
percent ofteenagers
arepotentially
facing
poverty
due
to
early
teenage
pregnan cy.These
arefrightning
risks and shouldbe
addressedtogether,
with equal emphasis.They
areboth
potentialconsequences of unprotected sexualactivity
andhave many overlapping
causes and solutions.When
taught
as separateentities,
STD
andpregnancy
preventioncan workagainst each other.
In
an articleregarding
teen
sexualbehavior,
William
Fisher,
PhD
determines
that
"...as young
womenhave
moreand moresexual
partners, their
use of oralcontraceptivesincreases,
their
useof condomsdeclines,
andtheir
reports ofpreviously diagnosed STDs
increase
astronomically."2The
correlation
between
teen
pregnancy
andSTDs
requires anintegrated
approachto the
subjectof safer sex.Anyone
cangoto the
library
and checkout abook
on sex.By doing
so,
that
personhas
accessto
facts,
diagrams
andtext-based
discussion. Is
this
adequate?A
personalexperience exposedthe
answer:"I
found
myselfdreaming
ofthe
afternoonthat
my
motherplaced abook
onmy bed
called"Where Did I Come
they
wouldn't escape.There
was nodiscus
sion afterwards andthe
book
wasquickly
returnedto the
library."The
above recollection revealsthe
ineffectiveness
ofthe
medium.Books
provide
the
factual information but
counteractthe
needfor
this
informa
tion
to
be verbally
communicated.The
first step in assembling
aninteractive
CD ROM is evaluating
whether ornot
the
mediumis
appropriatefor
the
subject matter.In
this
case,
multimediabridges
the
gap between
society's awkwardness withdiscussing
sex and our needto
disseminate
life-saving
information
andteach
communication skills.Safer
sex wouldbe
moreeffectively
andopenly
communicatedby integrating
sound,
motion and video.If
usedappropriately,
music can easeanxiety
createdby
the
subject matter and giveacontemporary feel
to the
piecethat
better
communicatesthe
urgency
ofthe
issue.
Motion,
in
the
form
ofanimation,
providesdynamic
visualinterest
and emphasizesthe
impact
of a user'sdecision. Animated
feedback
to the
user makesdecision-making
more rewarding.Finally,
video clips and
interviews portray
areality
unattainablethrough
comput er animation.The
more personalthe
information
is,
the
morethe
users willrelateit
to their
life
andthe
moreimpact
it
willhave.
Providing
information
is
the
first
step,
but encouraging
usersto
altertheir
behavior
as a result of
this
information is
the
goal.Through interactive
media,
this
gap
canbe
narrowed.The
task
ofexplaining
the
entire realm of sex was overwhelming.Therefore,
the thesis
is
restrictedto
methods ofreducing
the
largest
risks
of sexual contact:
STDs
and unplannedpregnancy.The
development
ofHIV
into AIDS
andthe
stages ofpregnancy
arenotimperative
to the
preventionprocess.
They
are possible results ofnotpracticing
safer sex.There
are,
however,
some unattractiveconsequences ofpregnancy
andSTDs that,
by
making
clearto the user,
coulddeter risky
behavior.
Although
they
are notincluded
in
the
computerprogram,
they
willbe
After
defining
the subjectofthis
thesis,
atarget
audienceneededto
be
established.This
projectfocuses
on pre-andearly teens,
ages11-15. At
first
the
target
audience was setbetween 13
and15 but
researchdictated
ashiftin focus.
"According
to the
1988 National
Survey
ofYoung
Men,
onethird
ofteenage
maleshave had
sexby
agefifteen,
and86
percentby
agenineteen."3Kids
arehaving
sex much earlierthan
imagined. Perhaps
moreenlightening, teens
need sex educationbefore
they
become sexually
active.In her book
onteenage sexuality,
Jay
Gale
statesthat
"... it does
not appearthat
sex educationprogramslead
to
promiscuity.On
the
contrary,
the
evidenceshowsthat
they
resultin lower pregnancy
and abortionrates,
delays in date
offirst
intercourse,
andin
a greater sense of sexual responsibility."4Barbara
Whitehead further
enforces
this
needfor early
education:"Early
sex educationreadies grade school childrenfor
the
onslaughtofpuberty.
By
the time
they
reachadolescence,
they
arecogni-tively
as well asbiologically
primedfor
sex."5A
discussion
with
Mani
Eghbali,
asexeducatoratRochester Institute
ofTechnology,
helped
define
atarget
agegroup
of11-15
year olds.Focusing
onpre-teens would preparethose
who are notsexually
active,
sothat
whenthey
do
find
themselves
in
suchasituation,
they
can respondmaturely.Fig.1a
The defined
target
audi ence suggeststhe
content and artistic style ofthe
interactive
project.Young
teen's
tastes,
interests,
and methods of
approaching
aCD-ROM
differ
dramatically
from
those
of adults.Athought
the
content ofthis
project would notbe
compromised
in
orderto
remainpolitically
correct,
this
[image:6.572.56.359.442.677.2]ignore
the
expected adult market.Since young
teens
presumably have
less money
and are still underthe
supervision oftheir
parents,
adults wouldbe
the
buyers. On
most accountsthe
thesis
profitsfrom
the
fact
that this
is
a schoolproject,
not abusiness
opportunity.However,
one attemptis
madeto
justify
the
content ofthe
pieceto
adults.The
programbegins
withmusic accompaniedby
quotes and statisticsranging from
teenage
sexualinvolvement
to
the
likelihood
ofteens
contracting
anSTD
(see fig. la). These
statisticshave
moreimpact
on adults and willhopeful
ly
persuadehesitant
adultsthat this
information is
essentialto
young
teens.
After
these
introductory
statisticsdisappear from
the
screen,
the
presentation
is
gearedfor
teens.
The
language
explainsthis
information in
an uncomplicated andinformal
manner.Slang
wordsthat teens
usein
pri vate conversations areincorporated
into both
text
and verbaldiscussion.
For
example,
in
someinstances
the
slang
term
"going
down"is
usedinstead
of"oral
sex"
or even
"cunnilingus".
By
the
sametoken the term
"women" and
"boy"
are avoided whenever possible.
Testers
reportedthey
don't
usethese terms
in
regardto
someonetheir
age.All
referenceto
"boys"
were changed
to
"guys". The
terms
"male" and"female" often avoidedthe problem,
sincethese
words seemto
cover allgenerations.The
goalofthese
subtlevocabulary
changesis
to
engagethe
reader.Speaking
on ateen's
level,
asthough the
program were writtenfor
the
individual
user,
willhopefully
makeexploring
this
CD-ROM
a more per sonalexperience.2.0 Content
The
content ofthis thesis
on safer sex wasquickly
re-organizedby
the
discovery
that,
to
be
effective,
the
project mustbe
morethan
aninforma
tional
piece.Facts
alone will not preventyoung
teens
from
becoming
Safer Sex
(See
fig.
lb)
Our Bodies
Let's Talk
Safer Sex
STDs/HIV
Female
Male
STDs
HIV
The
Party
The Movie
The Game
1 [he
Pharmacy
,
Condom
Hormones
Abstinance
Spermicides
1
manage
their
ownsexuality."6These
skills are
developed
through
planning
and practice.The importance
ofcommunicating
one'sdesires
war rantedthe
broadening
ofcontentin
the thesis.
An
entiresection ofthe
projectis dedicated
to
teaching
communicationskills.
The
chartin
table
1
outlinesthe
content ofthe thesis
and shows where each section(further
referredto
in
italics)
is located
withinthe
hierarchy
ofinformation. The Let's Talk
sectionquickly became
the
mostcomplicated and
developed
partofthe
project.The
user guidesthe
con versationthrough
four
scenes:the
Party,
the
Movie,
the
Game
andthe
Pharmacy.
Depending
onthe
user's choice ofconversation,
the two
characters create a
healthy
orrisky
relationship.2.1 Cognitive Development
Teen's
difficulty
in recognizing
the
results oftheir
actionsis mostly due
to
immaturity
in
thought
process.Teens
areusually faced
withfewer
responsibilities
than
adults soit
makes sensethat
they
have
less
practicein
following
athought
processfrom
idea,
to
implementation
ofidea,
to
consequence of action.
Such
cognitive underdevelopment poses afright-ning
obstaclebetween engaging in
sex andplanning for
sex.An
eleven yearold childis
notlikely
to
be cognitively
mature enoughto
follow
the
mental processesessentialto
practicing
safer sex."[Teenagers]
seemto
have
a view ofthe
worldin
whichthey
seethemselves
asimmortal
andimmune from
the
dangers
oflife. Often
they
fail
to
seethe
risk in
their
actions."7
Overcoming
this
hurdle
involves
two
skillsthat
Let's Talk
adopts as goals:
the
ability for
teens to think
aboutthe
possible outcomes oftheir
actions,
andthe
verbalability
to
expressthemselves
and whatthey
want out of arelationship.The
combinationofknowing
whatyou wantto
say
andverbally expressing
what you wantto
say
willstrengthen relationships and reduce unwanted and/or unprotected sexualexperiences.
Enacting
situationsin
whichcharacters arefaced
withdecision-making
Fig.3b
STD? What if I become
HIV
positive?"Asking
themselves
these
questions
willhelp
kids
actresponsibly
aboutsex.The
useof anarratorcharacter
helps
answermany
ofthese
questions.A
small purplecharacter,
made ofa
triangle
and af
sphere,
appearsin
the
lower left
cornerofthe
screenandcomments on
the
user'sdecisions,
providing
valuablefeed
back
whenthe
usermakes an educated oruneducated choice(see fig. 3b).
Eghbali
stressedthe
importance
of positivereinforcementfor informed
choices.
In Let's
Talk,
the
narrator reinforces gooddecisions. For
example, the
character yells"Bravo!
or"Good
Move!"to
rewardthe
userfor
using
a condom.By
the
samemethod,
if
the
usermakes abad
choice, the
narrator
interjects,
but
the
usercontinuesalong
this
path,
witnessing
the
outcome of
their
decision. At
the
endofthe
scene,
the
narrator sumsup
the
positiveand negativeimpact
ofthese
decisions. This
technique
is
useful because
it
teaches teens the
risksinvolved
in
unprotected anduninformed decisions
withoutlimiting
the
user'sability
to
select a particularconversation path.
Creating
dead-ends
in
the
software programto
force
auser
into making
the
correct choicedisengages
the
user and makesthem
lose
control overthe
computer program.Since Let's Talk
must engagethe
user
to
create apersonalexperience,
this
limiting
factor
wouldbe
counter-productive.
Many
conversations and scenesin Let's Talk
arecognitively
too
advancedfor
an11
yearold.The final
scene, the
Pharmacy,
is
anenactmentofacouple
selecting
contraceptives atthe
store(see fig. 3d). Eghbali
pointed [image:10.572.55.491.56.291.2]Fig.3d
partner
to
pick out condoms
and spermicidalfoam. This is exactly
why
the
sceneis
needed:if
they
aresexually
active,
they
shouldbuy
condoms!
By
enacting
this
scene,
the
young
teen
willrealize what
is
involved in planning for
sexual
involvement.
Perhaps
this
programwon't make all
teens
goto
the
pharmacy
withtheir partners,
but
atleast
they
willbe
aware of aresponsible
step
that
they
arebypassing. If nothing
else, this
section willprovide
important
facts
about contraceptives and showthem the
variety
of contraceptives
that
are available atthe
pharmacy.2.2 Verbal
Skills
There
aremany
teens
who are comfortablehaving
intercouse but
areuncomfortable
discussing
sexwiththeir
partners.Let's Talk is
mostappropriate
for
these
"high
risk"teens
because
it
provides actual scriptsthat
they
canuse,
ormodify
to use,
in
their
relationships.Having
practice,
knowledge
andconcern,
adultscanprovideteens
with verbalscriptsso
that
they
have
a selection oflines from
whichto
choose.Without
these
verbal communication
skills,
teens
willquickly find
themselves
in
uncomfortablesituations.
In
regardto
sexeducationclasses,
"the only
programs
that
have any
impact
teach
kids how
to
say
"no"
to
someoneyou
really
like,
someone you mightwantto
say
"yes"to
down
the
road."8Negotiating
sexinvolves
a series of personal choices.The
individual
mustmake
responsible, educated,
and maturedecisions. The only way
to
aquire
these
communication skillsis
to
plan sexualactivity
and practice [image:11.572.53.497.54.301.2]Role playing
and short skitshave
long
been
a method ofgiving individu
als
the
opportunity
to
practiceand preparethemselves
for
potential situations.
The
interactivity
availablethrough the
computercan also give userspractice
in
dealing
withsexual encounters sothat
they
do
not make gravemistakes
regarding
their
sexualhealth.
Many
people are uncomfortablewith
the
idea
ofplanning
sexualinvolvement. The
thought
seemsto take
the
spontaneity
outof sex.But discussion
of sexualintimacy
doesn't
have
to take the
romance out of sex.In
fact,
fantasizing
anddiscussing
sexual
desires
canbe
asstimulating
asthe
actitself. It
alsotakes the
fear
out of sex.
Talking
aboutsex with a partner strengthens emotionalbonds,
removes
ambiguity
aboutthe
status of arelationship,
andeasesfears
ofcontracting
asexually
transmitted
disease
or ofgetting
pregnant.2.3 Scripts
When
a couplediscusses
their
hopes, fears,
andlimits
ofarelationship,
confusion and mixed signals are
reduced,
if
not eliminated.Discussion
also
helps break down misguiding behavior
that
society dictates
andto
which
individuals
conform.We learn
most socialbehavior
from
scriptsthat
have already been
established.For
example,
society
tells
usthat
aman asks a woman on a
date. This
sexist scripthas
enduredthrough
time
and we are
only
nowbeginning
to
overcomeit.
Many
ofthese
socialscripts endure
from
an earlierdate
whenthere
was morediscrimination
between
sexes andthe
risks
ofcontracting
anSTD
wereless.
Today
many
of society's scripts aredangerous
and unfair.A
passagefrom
aschool
textbook, Sexual
Interactions,
sumsup
the
confusionthat
canresult
from differences in
scripts:Abelson
(1981)
suggestedthat
wehave
atendency
to
fill in
the
gaps ofincomplete
scripts.
This gap-filling
phenomenon cansometimes
lead
to
difficulty
in
ambiguoussituations.
You may have
experienced a situation
in
which you werefollowing
aFig.3c
your
friend's
scriptdid
notmatch yours.Your
friend,
whohad been
following
aromantic
script,
had filled
the
gapsby
attributing
to
you sexualfeelings
andinten
tions that
youdid
nothave.
Relating
to
each other
may have been
somewhatawk ward until you resolvedthe
differences
between
yourscripts. 9Encouraging
teens to
questionsociety's scriptsregarding
sex willhelp
them to
know
andcommunicatetheir
owndesires
and,
as aresult,
be
responsible
for
their
actions.By developing
individual instead
of societalscripts, teens
can evaluatethem,
alterthem
consciously,
and avoidambiguous situations.
After
identifying
adiscrepancy
between
scriptsthe teen
mustverbally
rectify
the
situation.For
example, the
girlin
the
Game
tells the
boy
right
away
that
sheonly
wantsto
be friends (see fig. 3c). The
boy
follows
ascript
saying
the
girlis interested in
arelationship
andthe
girlfollows
adifferent
script, that
they
are
just friends.
One
charactersenseda
differ
ence
in
the
status of arelationship
andtakes the
necessary
stepsto
communicate
these
differ
ences.
By being
blunt,
acouple avoids misunder
standings.
Problems
don't
arisewhereoneperson
is
following
onescriptand
the
otheris
following
another script.Although
often unrealistic andprematurely
blunt,
the
messagein Let's
Talk
is
clear:It is better
to
avoidmisunderstandings,
hurt
feelings,
and [image:13.572.54.495.357.623.2]Restricted
by
time,
conversationsin Let's Talk
advancequickly
and,
for
most
adults,
prematurely.It
is
unrealisticfor
acoupleto talk
about contraception
onthe
first date!
However,
only
adults notedthe time
factor in
these
skits.Teens
whotested the
program payedlittle
attentionto this
sequence of events and were
instead
engrossed andhumored
by
the
dia
logue. The
rapiddevelopment
ofdialogue
servesto
providethe
necessary
scripts
that
ateen
could usein
a similarsituation,
regardlessofthe
time
factor. It
alsomaintainsthe
user's attention!2.4 Visual Scripts
Verbal
communicationis
notthe
only
area of communicationthat
is
misconstrued.
Visual
scripts are oftenincorrect
and sexist.Clothing
is
oneexample of a visual cue
that
canlabel
anindividual
to
have
tendencies
toward
sexualpromiscuity
or evenfrigidity. It
appears obviousthat
actions and
beliefs
cannotbe determined
by
appearance andclothing;
yetAmerican
cultureunfairly
groups peopleby
visual cuesto
create orderin
society.
This
thesis
resists society'sbiases
by depicting
charactersthat
do
not conform
to traditional
gendercharacteristics,
leaving
outclothing
altogether.
There
is
nobow
onthe
girl character'shead,
orpony
tail
hair
style.
In
fact,
both
characters arebald!
Also,
the
female
characteris
blue,
a color
"normally"
reserved
for boys. For clarity
asto
whichcharacteris
speaking, the
voices are male andfemale.
The
use of alcoholis
also a societal scriptthat triggers the
belief
that
apersonwho
drinks
is
moreinterested in
sex.Although it is
proventhat
the
use of alcohol canimpair
judgement,
it does
notindicate
that
anindi
vidualwho
drinks is seeking
sex.The
purpose ofincluding
the
beer bot
tles
in The
Party
is
to
stressthat
alcohol can cloudjudgement
andthat
planning
adate
withsomeonefor
whom you are attracted at atime
whenone,
orboth
individuals is
underthe
influence
ofdrugs
oralcohol,
is
Fig.3a
To be wary
ofbehavior
that
couldincrease
the
likelihood
of unprotectedsex, teens
mustfirst
acknowledge
that
they
are
in
fact
sexualbeings.
This
is
difficult
for
teens
who
have been
taught
that
they
aretoo
young
for
sex.Society
hides
sexfrom
teens
(especially
f
females),
encouraging
them to
ignore
their
sexual
desires. As
aresult,
many
teens
suppressthese
physicaland emotionalurges and
deny
the
needfor
sexually-relatedinformation
and communication
skillsuntilthey find
themselves unprepared,
andfaced
withasexualencounter.
2.5
Re-evaluating
Scripts
and
Limits
of a
Relationship
It
is important
to
have
the
skillsfor evaluating
andaltering
our scriptsdepending
uponthe
situation.Teens
shouldbe
awarethat
it is OK
to
advance
their
expectations about arelationship
asit
progresses andthat,
by
consciously
doing
so,
they
can still maintain anon-coitalsexual relationship.
Limit-setting
is only
successfulif
partners communicate andreach a
mutually
acceptablelimit
to
sexual activity.This includes
notonly
thegradualadvancementofactivity,
but
alsothe
stopping
ofactivity
and regressionof
intimate
involvement.
Ceasing
sexualintercourse,
or"second
virginity"
is
anincreasingly
viableoption
for
teens.
Many
peoplefollow
the
oldsocietal scriptsuggesting
that
oncesexually
active,
there
is
no pointin
stopping,
andthat
once onthe
roadto
sex,
intercourse
is
inevitably
the
result.In Let's
Talk,
the
char [image:15.572.57.496.56.304.2]unprotected or protected
sex,
they
have
the
option ofchanging
their
mindlater
andtaking
the
relationship
at a slower pace.Surprisingly
mostadults responded
to the
Game,
wherethe
female
cansay
to the
male"last
night was a
mistake,"
with
mocking
negativity,
asthough
it
wastoo
late
to
changetheir
mind.This belief
is destructive because it leaves
the teen
helplessly
abandoning
control oftheir
conduct.The
goalin
theGame,
afterthe
couplehas had
intercourse,
is
to
point outthat
the
nightbefore
was a
potentially
life-threatening
mistake,
but
that
they
can changetheir
behavior
and notdo it
again.By doing
this,
the
characters regain controlof
their
lives
and continueto
be
responsiblefor
their
actions.Observance
ofteens
interacting
withLet's Talk
revealed which conversation
pathsyoung
people most often navigate.Not
surprisingly,
userschose
the
wreckless pathto
unprotected sex.The
narrator,
or"con
science"
takes
advantage ofthese
known
irresponsible
routesby
emphasizing why
these
werebad
choicesto
make.This ability
to
identify
areasof
interest
withinthe
programhelps
the
developer strategically
place vitalinformation.
Another
advantage ofusing interactive
mediato
presentinformation
andteach
communicationskillsis
the
ability
to target
a particulargroup for
information
that
might notbe
appropriatefor
other users.Users
willlearn
information
that
is
gearedfor
them.
For
example,
if
users areinnocent to,
and uninterested
in
sexthen
they
will mostlikely
not choose a pathin
Let's Talk
that
leads
to
anadvanceddiscussion
on contraceptivedevices.
After exploring
the
sectiononce,
this
user willprobably
getbored
andmove on.
The ability
to
provideinformation
to teens
who needit is
also advantageous when
dealing
withdifferences
between young
men andyoung
women.
Any
distinct
treatment
of genderis
directly
linked
to the
rate ofdevelopment
of eachsex.At puberty boys
and girls goin different direc
tions. With
the
development
ofmuscles,
growth ofbody
hair,
and changeFig.3b
decreased
self-esteemduring
puberty.They
gainweight,
develop
breasts.
and are
troubled
by
acne.These
signs ofpuberty
canhave
adevastating
effect on a girl's self-esteem.
Such lack
ofconfidencehas been linked
with
the
searchfor
affection,
comfortandsecurity.Since females
areknown
to
viewsexin
a moreemotionallight,
many
girlsseekthese
qualities
through
sex.Whitehead found that, due
to the
difference in
the
ageofmaturation
between
teen
boys
andgirls,
there
is
a"...decline
in young
adolescent
girls'
feelings
ofcompetence and confidence atroughly
the
same
time that
adolescentboys
arebecoming
more assertiveand,
well,
cocky."10
Although
there
wasn't
time to
getdeeply
involved in
the
issue
of
self-esteem,
referenceis
madeto
lack
ofself-confidencein
the
Movie
(see fig. 3b). The
couple watches a"steamy"
movie
in
whichthere
is
athin woman,
andthe
female
charactercomments
"I
wishI
werethat
thin.
..why areyou
hang
ing
outwithme,
any
way?"
The decision
to
address self-esteem
through television
has
two
purposes:to
makethe
viewerawarethat
models andactresses
in
the
mediado
not represent an
ideal
to
whichevery female
shouldaspire,
andthat
sexual conductin
movies oftenleaves
outthe
essentialstep
of protection againstpregnancy
andSTDs. Television
and moviesare pro sex
because it
sells,
but
notpro prevention.They
do
notin any
way
represent whatpeopleshould or should notdo in
their
lives. Teens
are more
impressionable
than
adults and oftenhave
difficulty
in making
[image:17.572.50.491.297.547.2]2.6
Facts
Knowing
the
risks
of sexualinvolvement
andthe
facts
about preventiongives people
both
the
information
they
needto
protectthemselves
andthe
confidence
to
communicatethis
information.
However,
for
teens
in
particular,
"An
illusion
ofsafety
arisesfrom
notasking
and notknowing."11This is life-threatening. Communication
skills andknowledge
are ammunition and protection against peer pressure.
The
combination of verbalscripts and
facts
about safer sex will givethem
confidenceto
resist pressure
to
engagein
sex.Facts
aboutSTDs,
information
abouthow
our sexual
bodies
work,
and methods of prevention willhelp
battle
this
illusion
of
safety
and peer pressure.This
meansproviding
allofthe
facts,
notjust
selectbits
ofbiased infor
mation.
"In
a new review of sex edcourses, the
CDC
[
]
found
that
kids
tune
out one-note messagesabstinence-only
as well ascontraception-only.
What does
work?Courses
that talk abstinence, teach
safe sex andrefuse
to
sendkids
outinto
acold, cruel,
sexually
charged world ontheir
own."12
In
the
scope ofthe thesis project, this
became
abalancing
act:to
not
be biased
by
providing
allthe
information
andto
allow usersthe
decision
of whichinformation is
relevant,
andto
kmit
the thesis
contentbecause
oftime
constraints.An
example ofthis
compromiseis in
the
dis
cussionof contraceptives.
Although
the
cervicalcap
andthe
diaphragm is
not
covered, there
is
a short explanation ofwhy
they
areexcluded.This
explanation
describes
whatthese
contraceptivedevices
are andwhy
they
are not appropriate
for
teenage
use.By
doing
this,
information
aboutbirth
control methodsis
notselectively
withheldfrom
the
user.During
the
productionofOur
Bodies,
it
wasimportant
to
keep
in
mindthat
the
focus
is
onteenagers.
In A Parent's Guide
to
Teenage Sexuality.
Gale
warns adultsto
"...be
realistic.Teenagers
are much moreinterested
in
the
emotional and physicalaspects of sexthan
they
arein
the
intrica
cies of
reproduction."13
The facts
of reproduction areonly
usefulif
they
preventing
pregnancy
andthe
spread ofSTDs.
Straying
too
far into
the
realmof
biology
andpregnancy
wouldtake the
focus
away from
prevention.
For
this
reason,
there
was no needto
gobeyond implantation
ofafertilized egg into
the
uterinelining.
Every
opportunity
was seizedto
include
smallfacts
that
relateto
safer sex.For
example,
in
the
sectiondealing
with seminalfluid
producedby
the
Cowper's
glands,
it is
notedthat this
fluid
can contain sperm andHIV
andthat this
is
one reasonwhy
any
genital contactbefore
sex,
is dangerous. Also included in
this
sectionis
referenceto
"pulling
out."Many
teens
rely
onthis technique
as amethod of
birth
control.Although
notincluded in
the
discussion
of contraceptive methods, the
"rhythm",
or"natural"
method
is
referencedin
Our Bodies
through
mention ofthe
difficulty
in controlling
ejaculation.2.7 Results
As
mentionedin
the
beginning
ofthis
discussion,
there
are grim resultsof
contracting
anSTD
orbecoming
ateenage
mother.These
results werenotaddressed
in
the
interactive
computerprogram,
but
they
are worthmentioning.
Whitehead
statesthat
"If
three
riskfactors for poverty
arepresent
teenage childbearing,
failure
to
completehigh
school,
andnon-marriage
then
it
is
allbut inevitable
that
the
mother andher
child willlive in
poverty:79
percentof all childrenborn
to
mothers withthose
three
risk factors
arepoor."14These
are statisticsthat
canact asscare-tactics
for young
teens
whohave
notthought,
arecognitively
notmatureenough
to
think,
oridealistically
think
aboutthe
possible outcomes oftheir
wreckless actions.As
adults,
these
statistics are alarming.However
to young,
unstableteens
it
mightbe
moreeffectiveto
stress shortterm
results with which
they
canidentify
focus
on whatis
important
to them
now stress
the
separationfrom
peer groups.Perhaps
the
fact
that
they
won't
be
ableto
go out withtheir
friends
at nightbecause
they
willhave
to
stay home
andtake
care of ababy
wouldhave
moreimpact
on aThis
thesis
focuses
onpre-teens andteens
whodo
not wantto
getpreg
nant.
Unfortunately
there
areteens who,
for developmental
orsocial reasons,
wantto
get pregnant.The
teens
whofall
into
one ofthese
categories areunsure about where
they
wanttheir
lives
to
lead
them.
In her
examination of various school sex education
programs,
Whitehead
explains
how
alack
of cognitivedevelopment
can causeteens to
viewpregnancy
as away
ofgaining
attention, envy,
and security."As
these
girlsbecome teenagers,
they
bring
limited inner
resourcesto the
key
developmental
task
of adolescence:the
for
mation of a stable
identity. Whereas
a moreresilient
teenager
is ready
to
face
the
classicquestions of adolescence
Who
amI?
andWhat
willI do
withmy life?
andHow
willI
be different from my
mother?the
fragile
girl
may
stillbe wrestling
withquestionsassociated with an earlier
developmental
stage:
Who
cares about me? andWhom
canI depend
on? andWhere
canI
find safety
andsecurity?"15
These insecurities
can consume ayoung
teen.
The
"fragile"teen
in
the
above mentioned exerpt
probably
wouldnot,
withoutprompting, think
about
long-term
consequences ofearly
teenage
pregnancy.3.0 Design
Decisions
3.1 Interface
In
this
thesis,
the term
"interface" refersto
elementsthat
remainconstantthrough
the
program.These
elements consist of navigation andthe
general
background images
that
accompany
thenavigation.The interface
took
many
turns.
The
originalplan wasto
have
square,
animatedicons
along
the
side ofthe
piece.After
initial
prototypedevelopment,
it
waspainfully
clear
that the
interface
wasboring
andunrelatedto the topic
andtarget
audience.
The interface
needed a metaphorrelating
to
sex that wouldboth clarify
and mimicthe
structure ofthe
piece and provide visualinter
For
navigationalreasons, the
conceptoflayered clothing
made sensebecause
eachlayer
represented alevel
ofinformation in
the
program.The
outer
jacket
wouldbe
the
mainmenu;
the
sweater,
the submenu; the
t-shirt,
the
body
content.The
idea
ofclothing
quickly lost its
appeal whenrealistic
clothing
andfabric
movementthat
believably hung
on a personwas unachievable.
The
idea
ofclothing
could still workif
the
focus
wereless
onthe
fabric
and more onthe
mechanismsthat
makeclothing
openand close.
The
belt,
the
buttons
andthe
zipper wereasfar
asthe
metaphor of
clothing
neededto
extend andthe
realism ofthe
idea did
notneed
to
gobeyond
the
objectsthemselves.
A
suggestion was madeto
changefrom
the
clothing
metaphorto
a stagemetaphor,
using
hanging
clothing
asthe
curtainsfor
a play.The idea
wasinteresting,
but
the
clothing
metaphorandthe theater
metaphor were getting
mixed andthey
werecompeting
for
attention.The idea
of atheater
stage was not
contemporary
and notexciting
to teenagers.
The
pieceneeded
to
have
acontemporary,
young feel
to
it. In
addition,
it
was stilltoo
literal. Too
muchtime
was spenttrying
to
make a replica of atheater
stage,
realisticlighting,
believable
curtains etc.Imitating
another mediumproved
fruitless,
andusing
the
computerin
abold,
new,
less literal way
proved effective
in suggesting
anidea
andattracting
attention.The idea
ofstripping
away clothing
to
revealdeeper,
moredetailed infor
mation,
serves a philosophical and practicalpurpose.The
programis
sealed at
the
beginning
with a zipperencasing
the
body
ofinformation.
When
the
zipperis
unzipped,
onelayer is
shed.The
sealis broken
and sois
society'staboo
onthe
discussion
of sex.The
subjectis
openfor
exploration.
When
the
belt is
opened,
anotherlayer is
exposed(see fig. lb).
Finally
the
buttons
areopened,
revealing
the
last layer
ofinformation.
By
stripping away
these
socialbarriers,
teens
willhave
accessto
information
that
willhelp
them
avoidpregnancy
andSTDs. Perhaps
this
metaphorfor
battling
society's reluctanceto
discuss
sex withteens
would notbe
noticed
by
teens, but it
was acontributing factor in
the
choice ofinter
Fig.lb
Fig.ld
The initial
zipperremainsin
the
cornerto
serve asthe
quitbutton (see
fig.ld). Above
that
is
abelt
which acts asthe
main menuand above
that
arebuttons,
whichare
the
submenuitems.
This
metaphorfor
navigation provided an
inter
esting
andprovocativeflair
that
draws
the
userinto
the
program.Judging
from
the
reaction oftesters,
the
program attracts attention withthe
interface. The close-up images
ofthe
zipper andbelt
were provocative but
not shocking.There
wasambiguity in
the
images
that
allowedthe
userto
imagine
the
purposeofthe
zipper.Originally
the
introductory
zipper was
intended
to
be
the
zipperof a sweaterorjacket. It
was soonclear
that
most viewersbelieved
the
zipperto
be
that
of apair ofjeans.
The
idea
ofsomething
unzipping is there, but
the
particulararticle ofclothing is only
suggested.
Oversized buttons
onthe
submenu screen alsobreaks from
realism andallows users
to
maketheir
own conclusionsabout
the
purpose ofthe
buttons.
li.'y-.y-y " <>.'"
k- ' . :
i
'Us
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"woA.llP^^B^>::*ft...:-.,i E&vK&3^HKHtt&2
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In
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[image:22.572.54.491.57.304.2] [image:22.572.50.486.269.645.2] [image:22.572.54.386.414.648.2]3.2
Navigation
Fig.lc
In
the
upperleft
corner ofthe
screenthere
is
aportion ofapocket,
presumably
the
pocketofblue jeans. The
menu and submenu names aresituated within
this
pocketand orient users(see fig. lc).
Initially
the
sectionname wassituated
vertically
and separatefrom
the
submenuname,
but
users were confused about
their
purpose and wantedto
clickonthem.
By
integrating
the
menu and submenu section namesinto
apocketthatis
constant
through
the program, the
organizational structureofthe material,
the
interface,
andthe theme
is
reinforced.Users
can see what section ofthe
programthey
arein
withoutgoing back
to the
mainmenu ora map.Forcing
the
userto
returnto the
mainmenu wheneverthey
wantto
moveto
another submenuitem is
cumbersome.Reduced
versions ofthe
big
submenu
buttons
are situatedalong
the
rightside ofthe
screen,
allowing
the
user accessto
other submenuitems
withoutleaving
that
section.They
can also access
the
main menufrom any
screen and quitatany
pointwithin
the
program.The
advantage of notreturning
to
another sectionto
reach yourultimate
desti
nation
is
speed and orientation.
Moving
rapidly
from
one screento
another can
interrupt
theflow
of
information
and confuse
the
userabouttheir
orientation within a sec
tion.
The desire
to
minimizeconfusion
that
is
oftenthe
result ofunnecessary
movement
between
screens and
changing
information,
is
the
reasoning for
the
design
ofthe
[image:23.572.52.495.395.644.2]more
information regarding
a particularSTD. The
information
exposedby
these
buttons is
shortanddoes
not warrantafresh
screen.Instead,
the
requested
information dissolves in
and out overthe
right panel ofthe
chart.
The
userneverleaves
the
initial
chartand can always see otherdis
eases,
clicking
them
wheneverthey
choose.This is faster
and more comprehensivesince
information
andlayout
is
notconstantly
changing,
appearing
anddisappearing.
Lack
offluidity
is
most apparentin
the
implementation
ofhypertext. It
is
incorporated into
the
programto
emphasizethe
inter-relatedness
of allsections and
to
clarify
terminology.
As previously
mentioned,
STD
preventionand
pregnancy
prevention needsto
be discussed
together.
They
are
both equally
frightening
possible consequences of sex.For
this
reasonhypertext
was createdsothat the
usercan see other relatedissues
or getmore
information
on a statement.For
example,
if
the
conversationin
Let's Talk leads
usersto
adiscussion
aboutSTDs, they
canclick onthe
word
STD
and goto
alist
of commonSTDs. This breaks
the tree
structure
ofthe project,
making it less restricting
and moreinterrelated.
The
original prototype ofthe thesis
contained a"go
back"
button
that
took the
userto the
last
screen visited.A button
was alsoimplemented
to
bring
the
userback from hypertext links.
Having
two
icon-based buttons
with similar names
but different
purposes,
wasconfusing
and ascripting
burden.
A button
that takes
the
userto the
last
screen meantdeclaring
aglobalon almost
every frame
ofthe
program.Fortunately
testers
did
notfind
this
feature
helpful,
andrarely
clicked onit.
They
alsofound
that
they
couldeasily
returnto
a particular sectionby
clicking
onthe
side-panel
buttons. This button
wasremoved,
leaving
the
"Go
Back"button
to
serveas a return
from hypertext
Few
teenagers
arefamiliar
withthe
term
"hot-text" and notmany
took
advantage of
this
feature. Even
withinitial
direction,
mostteens
did
notclickon
hypertext.
They
did, however,
click onthe
"Go
Back"button
clicked on
this
button before
they
had
chosenhot-text,
the
narraratorwarned
"This
button is only
usedfor returning from
red,
hot-text."
Even
this
was notadequate.The button
waseye-catching,
yetit
servedno purpose
if
the
userdidn't first
go outto
hypertext.
Finally,
a suggestion wasmade
to
only have
the
button
appearif
a userhad
clicked onhypertext.
By doing
this the
button
would notneedlessly
attractattention and clutterthe
screen.This
technique
also emphasizesthe
appearance ofthe
button
when
it is
needed.The
pinremains onthe
screen untilthe
userclicksit.
They
can move about withinthe
program and return atany time,
notbeing
restrictedto
one screen.Although
not yettested,
this
appearsto
be
a
clean,
comprehensive solution.3.3 Visual Focus
Any
screendisplay
has
ahierarchy
ofinformation
to
guidethe
viewer'seye.
Trying
to
gain visualdiversity
on adisplay by
providing
the
viewerwith
many
optionsto
chosefrom
provedineffective. This
inundation
withinformation
and choices caused confusion.For
example,
the
Male
Condom
sub-sectionoriginally
provided a quicktimemovie,
atrue
orfalse
questionnaire,
and a"return"
button.
Many
usersdid
notnoticethe
quicktime movie option.
Even
though
"click here for
movie"was printed
in large
letters,
there
wasso much otherinformation
onthe
screen atthe
same
time,
that
the
viewerclicked"return"
without ever
seeing
this
option.
The
program should notforce
the
userinto viewing
the
movie,
but it
alsoshouldn'tdisguise
the
option.In
the
Our Bodies
sectionthis
problem was not
the
lack
of visualnoticeability
ofthe
optionsbut
the
ambiguity
of whatto
clickfirst. Instead
of a"return"
button
there
was a"continue"
button
that
advancedthe
sequence ofevents.Users
wantedto
know if
they
clickedthe
"continue"button,
couldthey
still seethe
movie?
The
answer wasno,
they
wouldlose
the
chanceofseeing
the
movie
if
they
did
notchooseto
viewit
atthattime.
There
weretwo
solutions available.The
first
wasto
break
the
informa
movie and
it
would claim a screen allby
itself,
this
option wouldbe dull
and createneedlesswork
for
the
userby
making
them
click abutton
to
return.
The
more viable solution wasto
changethe
"return"button
to
a"movie"
button. This way
the
usercould not avoidthe
movie and wouldnot
be
confusedby
the
choice ofthe
movie orthe
"continue"
button.
This
was an acceptable solution with one caveat.
The
user should notbe
forced into viewing
the
movie.The decision
wasto
immediately
changethe
"movie"button
to
a"continue"
button
afterit
is
clicked(see fig.lc).
Users
must startthe movie,
but
they
can cancelit
atany
time.
3.4
Help
The
methodofproviding
help
is dependent
onthe target
audience.Testing
results showedthat the
youngerthe
teen,
the
fewer directions
they
needed.This is
partially
due
to
lack
of patiencein reading directions
and
partly
because
they
clickandrandomly
movethe
mouse more thando
adults.Teens
whotested
the thesis
wantedto
jump
right
into
the
program.Most
of
them
didn't
even goto the
help
section.The
few
that
did
click on"help"
didn't stay
there
long
enoughto
read all ofthe
directions. This
discovery
discouraged
implementation
of a"help"
button. Directions
would
have
to
be
integratedinto
the
sections whereit
was needed.Verbal
and short
text
instructions
can also reduceinformation
overloadandloss
of
interest.
The
solutionwasto
provide verbaldirections
as well astext
labeling
ofnavigational elements
the
first
time that the
user opensthe
program.The
verbal explanation
is
providedby
the
narrator and was addedafterdis
covering
that text-based
directions
alonewere noteffectivefor
teens.
This
introductory
"help"screenis
unavoidablethe
first
time
a userleaves
the
mainmenu,
but it does
not appear again.The
technique ofonly showing
directions
onceis
also usedin
the
Safer
click onpicturesof
the
contraceptives.Again,
the
narratorrescuesthe
user
by
releasing
aline
oftextual
directions
afteradelay. The
delay
serves
to
encourageteens
to
readthe
paragraph onthe
monitorbefore
they
impatiently
clickto
a specific section.Observation
ofteens
exploring
the
programrevealedtheir
curious natureand youthfulenergy.
They
constantly
movedthe
mouse aroundthe
screen;
whensomething
catchestheir eye,
it
also causesthem
to
movethe
mouseto that
location.
Having
information
appear whenthe
user rollsthe
mouseover aparticular objectis
an appropriate methodfor
hiding
text
andcreating
anexciting,
"hide
andseek"
environment.
The
informa
tion
containedin
these
hidden buttons is
not criticalto
the
safety
ofthe
user.
Such
essentialinformation is
eitherrepeatedin
the
body
text
orexcluded
from
the
rollover.Rollovers
in Safer Sex
provide extrainforma
tion
that
wouldotherwise crowdthe
screenmaking everything difficult
to
read.
The
narratorpointsto
agreenchalkboard with"+",
"-",
"%",
and"?"
printed on
it
(see fig.lc). The
teen
inevitably
rollsthe
mouse overthis
section and
discovers
the
advantages,
disadvan
tages, reliability
andlocation
of eachform
ofcontraceptive.
Although
abright
picture and symbols
appearin
the
lower
left
ofthe
screen,
adultshardly
everfind
this
section
because
there
are nodirections.
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[image:27.572.53.495.378.620.2]3.5 Illustrative
Style
With
sixteendifferent Macromedia
projectors,
special attention neededto
be
paidto
continuity between
movies.Consistent
treatment
of graphicsand
positioning
of navigation could easethe
awkwardness and possibleconfusion
that
is
often a result of changesin
movies and subject matter.A
consistent
illustrative
style neededto
be
establishedfor
all areas ofthe
thesis.
This
wasdifficult because
the
diversity
ofinformation
putforth
calls
for
avariety
of presentationformats;
Let's Talk
consists offull
screen
illustrations;
Safer Sex
containssubsections;
Our Bodies
consistsof animated
illustrations. The
project wouldquickly
getboring
if it
werewed
to
one particular style or software packagefor
the
entire piece.The
"look"
oftheproject needed
to
be
consistent atthe
beginning
of eachmovie
to
orientthe
userin
that section,
but thereafter,
a shiftin illustra
tive
style wouldhopefully
be
welcomed.Continuity
in design
andinterface
also appliesto the
use of movies.Since
the two
majormovie sourcesin
this
projectareMTV
andNOVA,
therewas an obvious
discrepancy
in
style.While searching for
away
to
ease
this
contrastin
style,
adecision
also neededto
be
madeonhow
to
present
the
optionfor
watching
a movie.An
initial
pictureimage
taken
from
the
QuickTime
movie provided a"sneak
preview" ofthe
moviecontent.
The
size andlocation
ofthe
picture established afocal
pointfor
the
moviebefore
it began
to
play.By
situating
a stillframe from
the
movie
in
the
exact place wherethe
movie wouldappear,
the
digital
videowould
hopefully
begin
smoothly.While
the
stillimage
wasbeing
swappedfor
the movie, there
was noimage
at all onthe
screen.This annoying
shift was unacceptable.To
make
the
switchless
noticeable,
aduplicate
ofthe
greentitle
printedonthe
stillimage
is incorporated into
thebegining
ofthemovie(see fig. lc).
As
the
moviebegins,
the
title
zoomslarger
anddissolved
into
the movie.Since
the
initial
stillimage
andthe
first
image
ofthemovie areidentical,
consis-tently
implemented for
all movies and provides a unifiedintroduction
to
different
video styles.3.6 Three Dimension
Visual
presentation ofthe thesis
neededto
consist of morethan
atext
book
ondisk. Computers
offerthe
capability
of user-controlleddynamic
information.
Why
is
there
a needfor
this
medium?The
same childhoodexperienceof
reading "Where Did I Come
From?"
comes
to
mind:"Sitting
onmy
bed,
leaning
againstthe
wallas
if
to
prevent anyonefrom
looking
overmy
shoulder,
I curiously devoured images
and
diagrams
that
I had
never seenbefore.
Soon I forgot
whatI
waslooking
at.For
allI
knew,
these
sperm werelittle
tadpoles
that
swam
through
a pipein
the
marshinstead
of
through
my
uterus!Looking
back,
I
try
to
analyzewhy I lost
touch
withthe
loca
tion,
sizeand purpose ofthe
anatomy
printed
in
the
pages ofthe
book.
My
conclusionis
that
diagrams lose
their
connectionto the
human
body
because
they
can'teffectively
remind
the
viewerof scale relationships andwhere
this
activity
takes
place."
Size
andlocation
relationshipsto the
human
body
canbe
addressedby
the
useofthree
dimensional
images
and animation.In Our
Bodies,
the
use of
Strata StudioPro
simplifiedcreationof3D
animationofthe
maleand
female
sex organs.The
organsfirst
appearin
scale and soon growto
fill
the
screen.This
allowedfor
the
organsto
be introduced in
positionwithin
the
male andfemale bodies. The
userimmediately
knows
whatthey
werelooking
at and wherethey
werelocated
withinthe
body.
Once
the
user clicks onthe organs,
an animation rotates andscalesthe
isolated
sex organs.
The
animationalso serves as atransition
from
an externalview of
the
male andfemale
to
thefunction
ofthe
internal
organs.In
the
male section
the
penisbecomes
erect whileenlarging
androtating.By
having
allofthese
movementshappen
atonce,
the awkwardness
ofAfter enlarging
to
full
size, the
sex organs are clickable and revealinfor
mation about
that
specific organ.When
clicked, the three
dimensional
organ
is
coveredby
atwo-dimensional
cross-section.This
transition
between
two
andthree
dimensional
illustration
worked wellbecause it
provided simplified visual
description
and animation withoutdistancing
the
userfrom
the
organitself. For
example,
assumethe
userclicks onthe
uterus;
atwo
dimensional image
ofthe
inside
ofthe
uterusdissolves into
the
screen.These illustrations
are simple so as notto
cloudthe
key
pointswith
technical
detail. After
the
user readsthe
accompanying
information,
they
are returnedback
to the three-dimensional
exterior sex organs.This
remindstheviewer of what
they
are seeing.3.7 Digital Video
Another
method ofreinforcing
the
orientation of organs within ourbodies
is
to
incorporate QuickTime
movies.Digital
videoborrowed from
PBS'NOVA
remindsthe
userthat
all ofthis
activity actually
takes
placein
the
human
body. QuickTime
moviesprovidebiological accuracy
that
is
otherwise
lacking
because
ofillustrative liberties
taken
in
thecreation ofthe
male and
female
sex organs.Animated illustrations
give asimplifiedunderstanding
ofthe
process ofegg
and spermdevelopment. The
goal ofthese
animationsis
to
giveteens
anunderstanding
of whathappens
in
their
bodies
andto