The findings and conclusions in these presentations have not been formally disseminated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and should not be construed to represent any agency determination or policy.

Tuesday, May 9, 2006
187

Inter/Intra-Departmental Collaboration for Prevention of STDs, HIV, and Unintended Pregnancy Among School-Age Youth in California

Paul Gibson, STD Control Branch, California Department of Public Health, 645 S. Bascom Avenue, Room 163, San Jose, CA, USA, Chris Berry, School Health Connections Office, California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Suite 6408, Sacramento, CA, USA, Eileen Yamada, Immunization Branch, California Department of Public Health, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Bldg P, Richmond, CA, USA, Sharla Smith, School Health Connections/ Healthy Start Office, California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Suite 6408, Sacramento, CA, USA, Gail Sanabria, Office of AIDS, California Department of Health Services, PO Box 997476, MS 7700, Sacramento, CA, USA, Cheri Pies, Family, Maternal, and Child Health Programs, Contra Costa County Health Services Department, 597 Center Avenue, Suite 365, Martinez, CA, USA, Maryjane Puffer, California Family Health Council, Inc, 3600 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA, USA, Anita Mitchell, Maternal, Child, and Adolescent Health Branch, California Department of Health Services, 1615 Capitol Avenue, MS 8306, Sacramento, CA, USA, Nicole Vazquez, Office of the Honorable Deborah Oritz, California State Senate, State Capitol, Room 5114, Senator Deborah Ortiz, Sacramento, CA, USA, and G. Bolan, STD Control Branch, CA Department of Health Services, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Bldg. P, 2nd Floor, Richmond, CA, USA.


Background:
Estimated annual costs to California for unintended pregnancies and HIV/STD infections among adolescents exceed $2 billion, while categorical programs/funding contribute to fragmentation of prevention efforts. Historically, there has been little collaboration on primary prevention efforts among the Department of Health Services (DHS) STD, HIV, teen pregnancy prevention programs and the California Department of Education (CDE).

Objective:
1. To create a coordinated and integrated system to promote the sexual and reproductive health of adolescents in California.
2. To reduce HIV, STD, and unplanned pregnancies among adolescents in California.


Method:
Representatives from the DHS/CDE participated in three national stakeholder meetings (2003-2005), sponsored by the CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH), to promote integration among HIV, STD, and teen pregnancy prevention programs. Subsequently, California's representatives obtained support from program leaders of DHS/CDE to develop collaboration proposals by convening an ad hoc work group comprised of DHS/CDE program managers.

Result:
The working group was formally endorsed by program administrators as the Adolescent Sexual Health Work Group (ASHWG). ASHWG has developed a Vision Statement; specified five high-priority areas including data integration and dissemination, educator workforce competencies, curricula development, access to care and resource and policy needs; sponsored two interdisciplinary trainings on adolescent sexuality; created a set of Sexual/Reproductive Health Indicators; helped secure funding for a state-wide public opinion survey on comprehensive sexuality education; and initiated development of a Core Competencies Guide for providers of adolescent sexual/reproductive health services.

Conclusion:
Although collaboration efforts face considerable barriers of time, organization, and resources; California is making significant progress towards a coordinated/integrated system promoting the sexual/reproductive health of adolescents.

Implications:
Collaboration among HIV, STD, and teen pregnancy prevention programs is essential for improving/protecting health outcomes among adolescents at-risk for STD/HIV infections and unintended pregnancy.

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