Our public health educators provides services to educate young people on healthy behavior and responsible decision making to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS, using the following evidenced-based curriculums:

• Focus
• Making proud choices
• Parents Matter

Preventing Sexually Transmitted Infections and Unintended Pregnancies among Young Women  

FOCUS is a FREE, evidenced-based program aimed at educating young women, ages 16-24, on issues such as responsible behavior, relationships, pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV prevention.

The goal of FOCUS is to promote healthy behavior and responsible decision making. Young women participating in this program will:

• Increase their knowledge about prevention of STDs, HIV and pregnancy
• Build confidence in their negotiation skills
• Become empowered to take ownership of their own bodies and sexual choices
• Believe in the value of safer sex, including abstinence
• Have stronger intentions to use condoms if they have sex
• Have a lower incidence of HIV/STD sexual risk-taking behavior

FOCUS includes eight hours of programming. It incorporates interactive activities such as visualizations, role-plays, PowerPoint slides, lecture and discussions. The program is suitable for use in a group or class setting.

FOCUS can be delivered in four, two-hour modules or modified as long as eight-hours of content is completed. Sessions will include the following:

• Session 1: Increase knowledge about unintended pregnancies and STDs including HIV/AIDS

• Session 2: Increase knowledge about hormonal and barrier contraceptives

• Session 3: Increase knowledge about the signs, symptoms, and consequences of     

                     STDs/HIV/AIDs

• Session 4: Modify attitudes about the effects of alcohol and its relationship to sexual risk behaviors

Making Proud Choices!

A Safer Sex Approach to STDs, HIV and Teen Pregnancy Prevention

 Making Proud Choices! (MPC) is an evidenced-based, HIV risk reduction curriculum for youth, ages 12 to 17, acknowledges that abstinence is the best choice. But it also emphasizes the importance of condoms to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including HIV and pregnancy if participants choose to have sex.

 The goal of MPC is to empower young adolescents to change their behavior in ways that will reduce their risk of becoming infected with HIV and other STDs, and their risk for an unplanned pregnancy. Youth participating in this intervention will:

• Increase their knowledge about prevention of HIV, STDs and pregnancy

• Believe in the value of safer sex, including abstinence

• Develop confidence in their ability to negotiate abstinence/safer-sex practices

• Improve their ability to use condoms correctly

• Have stronger intentions to use condoms if they have sex

• Have a lower incidence of HIV/STD sexual risk-taking behavior

• Take pride in choosing responsible sexual behaviors

   

  MPC includes a series of fun and interactive learning experiences designed to increase participation and help adolescents understand the faulty reasoning and decision-making that puts them at risk for STDs, HIV and unplanned pregnancies.  It involves video clips, games, brainstorming, role-playing, skill-building activities and group discussions designed to increase comfort with practicing condom use, address concerns about negative effects of practicing safer sex and build skills in condom use and negotiation. The curriculum also encourages participants to take pride in themselves and their community, to behave responsibly for their own sake and for the sake of their community, and to consider their goals for the future and how unhealthy behavior might thwart those goals.

   

  MPC consists of eight, one-hour modules, covering the following topics:  

• Module 1: Getting to Know You and Steps to Making Your Dreams Come True

• Module 2: The Consequences of Sex: Pregnancy

• Module 3: The Consequences of Sex: STDs

• Module 4: The Consequences of Sex: HIV Infection

• Module 5: Attitudes About Sex, HIV & Condom Use

• Module 6: Strategies for Preventing HIV Infection: Stop, Think and Act

• Module 7: Developing Condom Use and Negotiation Skills

• Module 8: Enhancing Refusal and Negotiation Skill