Chances are that if you were in your early 20's in 1994, you watched "The Real World" on MTV. The original “reality TV” series, The Real World was famous for taking a group of strangers from very different backgrounds and putting them all under one roof for four months, turn on the camera's and see what happens. Oh, and every season they were in a different city.

At the time the concept was original, fresh and daring. And highly addictive for those in their mid teens to their mid twenties. The 1994 season was no different. Set in San Francisco in an incredible house on Lombard Street, the cast of characters included a young Republican, an aspiring cartoonist, a medical student, a rapper, a blond girl-next-door type, a bike messenger atrocious manners and TV's first openly gay, HIV+ cast member.

The cast member was named Pedro Zamora and he was from Miami via the 1980 Mariel boatlift from Cuba. His casting and brave struggle with HIV/AIDS was a landmark in the history of television and important to the AIDS movement.

By being a part of the show, Zamora gave a face to the disease and ensured that every American who watched the show could say they knew someone who suffered from the disease.

The movie could have simply retold the story of what happened inside the house, what had already been seen by millions of Americans; instead, the movie tells the story of Pedro Zamora both before his time on The Real World, and after.

Written by Academy Award winner Dustin Lance Black, Pedro isn't a linear narrative and it doesn't rely heavily on cheesy flashbacks; it inner cuts his early childhood, his journey to America, his teenage years and how he came to be on MTV seamlessly. It never feels contrived, and viewers will undoubtedly learn things about Pedro Zamora's life and death that were not widely known at the time.

And for those who may be wondering how the movie handles the entire issue of the Pedro and bike messenger Puck relationship, fear not, the infamous peanut butter incident is relived, albeit without much fanfare.

While many who watch the movie may have been viewers back in 1994 and recall the nastiness that was Puck, by only devoting a marginal amount of time to that relationship, it educates the viewer that Pedro Zamora's life was much, much more than four months on a TV show.

The film, which airs Wednesday night, April 1^st at 8:00 p.m., will be introduced by former President Bill Clinton, who has long credited Zamora with personalizing and humanizing the epidemic. “To this day, Pedro Zamora remains an extraordinary example of what a huge impact one young person can make in our world,” President Clinton said. “I’m glad to have known him, and I’m grateful his life has been able to inspire and enrich so many others.”

Nearly 15 years since Pedro heightened national awareness of HIV/AIDS, the epidemic in the U.S. remains a serious concern, especially among younger Americans (under 30) who account for a larger share of new infections than any other age group. Other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) – such as chlamydia and gonorrhea – are even more common, with one in two sexually active Americans being infected by age 25 – and most not knowing it.

Since 1997, MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation have partnered to inform millions of young adults about HIV, other STDs and related sexual health issues.  Beginning in April (STD Awareness Month), MTV and Kaiser will partner with Planned Parenthood Federation of America and its nearly 880 affiliate health centers to make an aggressive push to inform America’s young people about STDs, as well as help normalize and drive increased testing.  Full details on the rest of the campaign will be unveiled soon. 

Planned Parenthood is also developing an educational discussion guide for teens, young adults, and parents to use when they watch the Pedro premiere on MTV. It will be available for download on MTV’s ItsYourSexLife.com and at Planned Parenthood.

By Missy Lee

Missy Lee is the publisher, editor and chief reporter for ILoveTelevision.com. Prior to starting ILoveTelevision.com she worked for TV-Now.com and the late Tony Bray. After living in LA and covering all things entertainmentfor a number of years, she moved back to her home state of Tennessee.