What 'Juno' About Contraceptives? 'Science on Screen' Combines Film and Education

Emma Stefanick

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, the Athena Cinema hosted a “Science on Screen” event.  The series is an opportunity to educate the public on everyday science and technologies paired with the screening of a popular film. 

Photo by Emma Stefanick

Before a free screening of the 2007 film, “Juno,” Dr. Jane Balbo began the night by discussing the science behind contraceptives and providing a hands-on table where the audience had the opportunity to feel and see real forms of contraceptives.

“In the developing world, the U.S. actually has the highest rates of unplanned pregnancy among teens,” Balbo says. “43 out of every thousand females aged 14 to 19 became pregnant in 2013, and that’s the most recent year we have data for.” Although high, this is the lowest the rate has been for decades, which Dr. Balbo attributes to the increased awareness and use of contraceptive methods. 

“[At Ohio Health Campus Care] we have a contraception counseling program that’s modeled after the contraceptive choice project where people can get fact-based information and learn about all the methods that would be safe for them,” Balbo says. “The visit is free to talk with a counselor.” She recommends checking out bedsider.org, an online birth control support network, for more information about contraception.

“Juno,” depicts a 16 year-old girl who becomes pregnant by her best friend and makes the decision to give the baby to a loving family in a nearby city. With her family and friends at her side, she must learn to grow up fast, realizing that one uninformed choice can have a lifetime of consequences; the type of consequences Dr. Balbo hopes to prevent students from encountering.

Although there are currently no other scheduled “Science on Screen” events, Athena Director Alex Kamody is hoping to host more in the spring. 

“I think it’s really fun to do these events because we really want to focus on the science behind things,” Kamody says. “ A lot of times we depend upon the way our scientists frame things. There are things that can be politically charged, but what we’re here really to focus on is the science behind some of the topics.  I thought that was really interesting because we hear so many politically charged conversations about birth control and things of that nature and it was nice to have the opportunity to really focus on the science behind it.”