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.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006
247

Enhancing STD Prevention Education in Schools: Implementing Making the Connection Between HIV and STDs

Paul Gibson1, Amy Vanessa Smith2, Sandra Rose3, Jasmin Delgado4, Jennifer Rudy3, Sharla Smith5, Chris Berry6, and G. Bolan7. (1) STD Control Branch, California Department of Public Health, 645 S. Bascom Avenue, Room 163, San Jose, CA, USA, (2) Disease Prevention Section, California Department of Public Health, STD Control Branch, 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 520, Oakland, CA, USA, (3) Disease Prevention Section, California Department of Health Services, STD Control Branch, 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 520, Oakland, CA, USA, (4) STD Control Branch, California Department of Public Health, STD Control Branch, 3374 E. Shields Ave., Rm C14, Fresno, CA, USA, (5) School Health Connections/Healthy, California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Suite 6408, Sacramento, CA, USA, (6) School Health Connections Office, California Department of Education, 1430 N Street, Suite 6408, Sacramento, CA, USA, (7) STD Control Branch, CA Department of Health Services, 850 Marina Bay Parkway, Bldg. P, 2nd Floor, Richmond, CA, USA


Background:
Although STD education is not mandated in the Education Code, a survey of California high schools revealed that 96% provide STD instruction, but only 7% had purchased a standardized STD curriculum. Fewer than half of teachers surveyed had received formal STD training and nearly one-fourth use the internet as their only source for STD information.

Objective:
1. Enhance the capacity of teachers/educators to conduct effective and accurate STD prevention education in California middle/high schools and community-based agencies.
2. Distribute and evaluate a standardized, theory-based STD curriculum to school and community educators that supplements existing research-validated HIV curricula.


Method:
An interactive STD curriculum (Making The Connection Between HIV and STDs) based on the Health Belief Model was developed by the CA STD Control Branch to supplement HIV/AIDS education in public middle/high schools. The curriculum was reviewed by curriculum and medical experts and field-tested by teachers. It was released in May 2004 and distributed through County Offices of Education. Specially-adapted STD Overview trainings were conducted for teachers/educators using the curriculum.

Result:
Over 1062 curricula were requested and distributed to middle/high school teachers (39%); school nurses (8%); community educators (27%); and other health professionals (26%). Special STD workshops were conducted with 694 teachers/educators from 38 school districts who received the curriculum. Preliminary mean ratings for the curriculum based on evaluations returned from teachers/educators so far (n=76), are 4.2 for Instructional Design, 4.2 for Content, 4.1 for Participant Activities, and 4.2 for Overall Rating (where 1=Poor and 5=Excellent). Final evaluation results will be reported.

Conclusion:
The "Making the Connection" curriculum and associated training fill a STD resource gap for many educators in local school districts across California.

Implications:
The "Making the Connection" curriculum and associated teacher trainings serve as a model for health department/school/community collaborations for HIV/STD prevention education with adolescents in local communities.

See more of Population Focus: Adolescents
See more of Oral and Poster

See more of The 2006 National STD Prevention Conference