Hoppers kids on message with health DVD

Students Kaleb, Max, Ocean, Stutti, Noor, Deborah and school nurse Trish Worthington put their faces to a new DVD helping young people access health services. Picture: Damjan Janevski

Meet the stars of a new DVD aimed at helping young people learn to access health services.

Seven year nine students from Hoppers Crossing Secondary College starred in the DVD, which was launched last week.

The doco covers basic health queries, such as getting a Medicare card, making a doctor’s appointment, doctor-patient confidentiality, patient’s rights and consent to treatment, and where to go for local health advice and services.

The Young People Accessing Health Services DVD will be used in all Victorian schools, and is a joint initiative between the Hoppers Crossing school, the education department’s south western Victoria secondary school nursing program, School Focused Youth Service and Family Planning Victoria.

Education department secondary school nurse Jane Altermatt said the DVD would help students make healthy and safe life choices.

“While delivering sexual health education in schools, nurses noted that young people held onto a lot of myths around their rights to confidential health care,” Ms Altermatt said.

“This resulted in them being reluctant to seek help.”