What is the..... Comprehensive
Sexuality Education Program?
The Comprehensive Sexuality Education Program is part of a statewide teen pregnancy prevention initiative that supports community-based efforts to reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among youth. The program promotes responsible decision making and skill building by providing community based education for youth and parents. Contractors use evidence based curricula and youth development programs that have been proven to delay sexual activity, improve contraceptive use among sexually active teens, and prevent teen pregnancy. Services are provided after school in community settings. The primary target population of the programs are youth involved in the juvenile justice system and parents in general.
Funding for the Comprehensive Sexuality Education Program comes from monies allocated to the Arizona Department of Health Services from the state lottery fund. The funds are used to contract with local communities to develop culturally diverse programs and strategies designed reduce the incidence of teenage sexual activity and sexually transmitted disease.
There are 14 contractors located in Apache, Cochise, Coconino, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Navajo, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, and Yuma Counties currently being funded.
Why is this program
needed?
Despite a decrease since 1998, Arizona continues to have a teen birth rate that is higher than the national trend. According to the Arizona Vital Statistics, Teen Pregnancy, Arizona 1007-2007, in 2007 there were an estimated 28,661 mothers in Arizona who were younger than 20 years old, 15,038 girls under the age of 20 got pregnant, and 23% of those girls had been pregnant before. The 2007 Arizona Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a self-report survey of students in grades 9 through 12. This survey assesses behaviors among youth that contribute to the leading cause of morbidity and mortality during adolescence. The YRBS indicates that 46.1% of the youth surveyed have had sexual intercourse.
Between 2004 and 2007, the incidence rate of sexually transmitted infections among females age 10-19 years has increased dramatically, as shown in the table below.
| Incidence of Sexually Transmitted Infections in Females Age 10-19 Years, Arizona 2004 and 2007 |
Sexual Transmitted Infection |
Incidence Rate per 100,000 residents, Arizona 2004 |
Incidence Rate per 100,000 residents, Arizona 2007 |
Gonorrhea |
121.4 |
132.4 |
Chlamydia |
694.6 |
931.7 |
Early syphilis |
4.3 |
6.6 |
Genital herpes |
18.7 |
22.3 |
What are the goals
of the program?
The goals of the program are to:
- Reduce the number of pregnancies to teenage girls age 15-19
- Reduce the number of repeat pregnancies to teenage girls age 15-19
- Reduce the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers age 15-19
What has the
program achieved?
The 14 contractors were funded to provide services since March 2008. The biggest accomplishment has been the connection with the juvenile justice system to provide services both in the detention facilities as well as to youth on probation. The projects are expected to reach 3,085 youth in curricula based programs, 238 youth in positive youth development programs, and 375 parents.
CURRENT PROGRAM PROVIDERS
- Yuma County Department of Public Health
- Gila County Health Department
- Maricopa County Department of Public Health
- Coconino County Health Department
- Pima County Health Department
- Cochise County Health Department
- Mojave County Department of Public Health
- Apache County Health Department
- Graham County Health Department
- Navajo County Public Health Department
- La Paz County Health Department
- Greenlee County Health Department
- Yavapai County Health Department
Need more information?
Dorothy Hastings, Education Section Manager
150 North 18th Avenue, Suite 320
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
Phone: (602) 364-1423
Fax: (602) 364-1496
Email: hastind@azdhs.gov
|
