SEXUAL HEALTH & WELL-BEING
Why is this important?
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Sexual health knowledge is crucial for adolescents to comprehend. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination, and violence.
Research proves that adolescents in low socioeconomic communities tend to have a weaker grasp on sexual health knowledge compared to their affluent peers. This could be due to a lack of education, peer pressure, or less parental supervision. Since many adolescents in low socioeconomic communities engage in sexual activities, it is crucial they comprehend sexual health prior. Comprehensive sexual education has been shown to help to prevent and reduce the risks of adolescent pregnancy, HIV, and sexually transmitted infections.
Recommended Programs Available Online/DVD:
Seventeen Days
Formally known as: What could you do?
Developed by: Carnegie Mellon University's Center for Risk Perception and Communication
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Targeted towards sexually active adolescent females between the ages 14-19.
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Seventeen Days educates young women about the use of contraceptives and the possibilities of STIs. The DVD presents different scenarios that young women could face in intimate relationships and allows them to practice and discuss what they would do in similar situations.
Learn more at:
Recommended Programs Implemented in School Curriculum:
All4You2
Developed by: Karin K. Coyle, PhD
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Targeted towards 14-18-year-old students.
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All4You2 is a program that aims to prevent and reduce the risk of HIV, STDs, and pregnancy amongst students in alternative education settings. This program consists of 15 skill-based classroom lessons that also aim to change beliefs, attributes, and perceived norms about sexual risk-taking.
Learn more at:
Be Proud!
Be Responsible!
Developed by: Loretta Sweet Jemmott, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, John B. Jemmott III, Ph.D., and Konstance A. McCaffree, Ph.D., CSE.
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Targeted towards 14-18-year-old students.
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The goal of this program is to empower youths to reduce the risk of HIV through a variety of curriculum, knowledge, skills, and motivation.
Learn more at:
Be Proud!
Be Responsible!
Be Protective!
Developed by Deborah Koniak-Griffin, RN, EdD, FAAN, Loretta Sweet Jemmott, PhD, RN, FAAN, and John B. Jemmott III, PhD
This program is an adaptation of Be Proud! Be Responsible! and aims to focus on maternal responsibility like making healthy sexual decisions and decreasing risky behavior.
It also encourages adolescents to take accountability and responsibility for their decisions, as well as educates the effects of HIV/AIDS in inner-city communities.
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Learn more at:
Making Proud Choices!
Developed by Loretta Sweet Jemmott, Ph.D., RN, FAAN, John B. Jemmott III, Ph.D., Konstance A. McCaffree, PhD, CSE, and Pamela M. Wilson, MSW.
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This program is targeted towards ages 12-18.
This program can be adapted and provided to many different groups including schools, youth-serving agencies, and many different communities & out-of-care settings.
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This program provides adolescents with the knowledge, confidence, and skills that are necessary in order to reduce the risk of STDs and pregnancy.
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Learn more at:
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Safe Dates
Developed by: Vangie Foshee, Ph.D., Stacey Langwick, Ph.D.
This program is targeted towards 11-17-year-old students.
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This program educates youth and adolescents on how to identify and prevent dating violence. Students will learn the causes of dating violence, how they could help a friend experiencing abuse in a relationship, gender stereotypes about dating violence, as well as different prevention techniques.
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Learn more at: