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Background: Young people under 25 account for nearly half of all reported sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Access to quality SHS, sexual health education, and safe and supportive environments plays a critical role in reducing risky sexual behavior among youth. Because of their unrivaled access to adolescents and education agencies are well-positioned to have a meaningful impact on sexual health outcomes. Health departments, and specifically STD programs, are natural partners in this work—specifically when facilitating access to and providing key SHS.
Methods: The National Coalition of STD Directors and CAI work closely to identify organizational partnership opportunities for state (SEA) and local education agencies (LEA), to advance SHS work in high need/priority communities. The Michigan Department of Education, for example, works closely with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to provide on-site STD testing in school districts throughout the state, high-quality professional development to identify and refer to adolescent-friendly services, and expertise on facilitating access to those services. In Duval County, FL, the school district works closely with the local health department to provide teen-friendly services for students.
Results: As a result of the strong partnership in Michigan, nearly 36% of priority school districts have a system to refer students to youth-friendly offsite providers for key SHS. This is higher than the national average among other CDC-funded SEAs. In Duval County, FL, five clinics are available to students.
Conclusions: Organizational partnerships in Michigan and Duval County were successful in increasing student access to SHS. Strong partnerships with STD programs build capacity of schools and districts to better facilitate referrals, and on-site or school-linked services. This model represents a cost-effective and sustainable strategy for leveraging state and local expertise and resources.