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In keeping with the day's global theme, the program will also air on Playboy TV networks in the United Kingdom, Latin America, Japan and Scandinavia.
Solely funded by the Playboy Entertainment Group, "Doin' it Right" is written and directed by TV veteran Max Ember and produced by Billy Frank (the team produced the AIDS special "Being Alive"). The program presents a thought-provoking and entertaining look at HIV/AIDS education and transmission in the heterosexual community.
It also discusses dating in the age of HIV with a humorous and honest approach that is both revealing and effective.
"Doin' it Right" presents its safe-sex message through a plot line focused on four young heterosexuals whose lives and fantasies become interwoven during a business trip.
The show features vignettes about aspects of sexuality and AIDS as well as celebrity appearances by well-known personalities including rap artist Sir Mix-A-Lot, actors Paige Moss, Linda Blair, Robert Torti and Heather Thom; and a surprise cameo by Playboy TV's own "Night Calls" hostesses, Juli Ashton and Doria.
The program also features candid interviews with HIV-positive and HIV-negative heterosexual men and women, visual explorations of common sexual fantasies, music-video elements, "Saturday Night Live"-style humor sketches and much more.
"Throughout Playboy's history, we have always been at the forefront of sexual education and a leader in AIDS awareness and prevention in the gay community," said Jim English, president of Playboy networks worldwide.
"Our flagship magazine, Playboy, has tracked AIDS since the early 1980s, when the poorly understood affliction was then known as Gay Related Immune Deficiency, or GRID. Until now, we have not had a strong-enough vehicle to make the heterosexual community listen and `Doin' it Right' addresses this issue in an effective manner."
Among the experts appearing on "Doin' it Right" are Dr. Scott Hitt, chair of the President's Council on HIV/AIDS; Nina Marks, AIDS Project Los Angeles' first female treatment advocate; Charlie Price, executive director of Being Alive, the only AIDS Service Organization (ASO) run by and for people living with HIV; Mary Lucy, head of Women Alive, the only ASO run by and for women with HIV and AIDS; and John Sheeran, head of Tuesday's Child, the only ASO geared exclusively toward families living with HIV and AIDS.
"As a gay man with 10 years worth of lessons in AIDS prevention and watching friends die from this unspeakable disease, I felt compelled to actively stress to the straight community that they are also at risk for contracting HIV," said Ember.
AIDS is the second-leading cause of death for all Americans between the ages of 25 and 44 and the third-leading cause of death of American women between the ages of 25 and 44, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. AIDS is the number-one killer of African-American women within the same age range.
Additionally, between 40 and 60 thousand Americans become infected with HIV each year, and women are the fastest-growing group to become infected with HIV. By the year 2000, 80,000 children in the United States will be orphaned by AIDS. Despite a 10 percent decrease in the number of deaths, there was an increase in AIDS prevalance in 1996 over 1995.
"The most important message of this special is the message of hope," said Frank. "We stress the importance of safe sex and demonstrate many ways to prevent the transmission of HIV. We also attempt to communicate the message that even with HIV infection there is still hope for a long and full life.
"Although there is still no cure for AIDS, significant advancements in medical treatments are currently available and can slow the progress of HIV toward full-blown AIDS."
As a public service, all of the actors in "Doin' it Right" donated their services. None are HIV-positive and nearly all are heterosexual. AIDS Project Los Angeles donated facilities and provided research. Kaiser Permanente donated post-production and sound-editing facilities.
Playboy TV is the nation's third-largest pay-per-view service and its programming is broadcast in 135 territories worldwide with Playboy TV networks in Japan, the United Kingdom, Latin America and Scandinavia. Playboy TV is available on cable television and via direct-to-home (DTH) satellite systems.
Contact:
Playboy TV Jim Nagle or Donna Anderson, 310/246-4000 or Golin/Harris Francisco Lozano, 213/623-4200
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