Why should we be concerned with the health of our students?

FIVE MORE YEARS

Poor food choices Lack of Physical Education and Activity

Dr. John Ratey

Does education make a difference? YES!!!

Leon County Results 2014 FYSAS 18.4% of middle and high school students reported drinking alcohol (down from 23.2%) 8.7% reported binge drinking (down from 11.2%) 9.8% reported smoking marijuana (down from 13.6%) 5.4% reported smoking cigarettes (down from 7.3%)

Trends FYSAS Alcohol21.4%26.8%18.4% Binge drinking10.5%14.8%8.7% Marijuana12.3%13.9%9.8% Cigarettes8.4%7.3%5.4%

Leon County Results 2014 FYSAS – DUI 15.8% of high school students have ridden in a car with a driver who was under the influence of alcohol (down from 22.4%) 21.2% have ridden with a driver who was under the influence of marijuana (down from 26.4%)

What about Health Education in Leon County Schools?

Teen Sexual Behavior  The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is a school-based anonymous survey that collects information from 9 th –12 th graders about the following health-risk behaviors:  Injury/violence, alcohol & drug use, tobacco use, sexual behaviors, dietary behaviors & physical activity.   This survey is conducted at the national, state and local levels. The Florida YRBS data is weighted, which means it represents Florida ’ s entire youth population. 14

Teen Sexual Behavior 2013 YRBS – Florida Highlights  44% of 9-12 th graders have ever had sex (approx. 351,824)  27% of 9 th graders have had sex (approx. 58,237)  60% of 12 th graders have had sex (approx. 109,915)  21% of 12 th graders have had sex with 4 or more partners (approx. 38,470)  10% of males and 4% of females had sex for the 1 st time before age 13. (approx. 40,606 males, 15,741 females) 2013 YRBSS – Youth Online, CDC

Top Ten County STD Rates (Rt./100,000) 2012 RankChlamydia Rt.Gonorrhea Rt.Early Syphilis Rt. # 1 Leon (925) AlachuaBroward (34) # 2 Gadsden (814) GadsdenMiami-Dade (31) # 3 Alachua (757) EscambiaEscambia (27) # 4 Hamilton (724) ColumbiaHillsborough (22) # 5 Union (717) DuvalOrange (20) # 6 Duval (615) LeonUnion (19) # 7 Escambia (608) HillsboroughPinellas (12) # 8 Jackson (587) MadisonLiberty (12) # 9 Hillsborough (567) OrangeLeon (12) # 10 Bradford (551) JacksonPalm Beach (11) Florida Rt National Rt.* * Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexually Transmitted Disease Surveillance Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2012.

STDs/HIV Consequences  Health:  Potential threat to an individual’s immediate & long-term health  Reproductive health concerns (Infertility, Ectopic pregnancy/miscarriage, Genital cancers)  May increase a person’s risk for acquiring/transmitting HIV  Many face stigma & discrimination  Education:  Absenteeism (affects school performance, test scores)

WHY Sexuality Education 1 in 2 sexually active youth will contract an STD by age 25 Florida ranks second among states in the number of HIV cases reported in in 4 teens in the US will become pregnant by age 19 The US leads the industrialized countries in teen pregnancy, birth and abortion rates.

 Yes!  Required as “Family Life” instruction, a component of Comprehensive Health Education under Florida State Statute (2)(n).  Specific content and curriculum is determined by local school district policy. Is Sexual Health Education Required in Florida Schools?

Required Instruction – Health Education F.S (2) (n) Comprehensive health education that addresses concepts of community health; consumer health; environmental health; family life including an awareness of the benefits of sexual abstinence as the expected standard and the consequences of teenage pregnancy; mental and emotional health; injury prevention and safety; nutrition; personal health; prevention and control of disease; substance use and abuse; and Internet safety. The health education curriculum for students in grades 7 through 12 shall include a teen dating violence and abuse component that includes, but is not limited to, the definition of dating violence and abuse, the warning signs of dating violence and abusive behavior, the characteristics of healthy relationships, measures to prevent and stop dating violence and abuse, and community resources available to victims of dating violence and abuse Access the state statues at Support for Instruction in Sexual Health

Types of Sex Education  Abstinence-only : emphasizes abstinence from all sexual behaviors; does not include information about contraception, except in terms of failure rates (includes only abstinence).  Abstinence-based/plus/centered : emphasizes the benefits of abstinence; includes information about contraception as a disease prevention method (includes abstinence & contraception).  Comprehensive sex ed : Age appropriate, sequenced K-12 sexuality education; includes info on a broad set of topics related to sexuality and sexual health including abstinence and contraception as disease prevention methods (includes abstinence & contraception).

10 Characteristics of Effective Programs 10 Characteristics of Effective Programs Source: No Easy Answers: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2001  1. focus on reducing sexual risk-taking behavior  2. based upon theory  3. deliver & reinforce a clear message about abstaining and/or using condoms or contraception.  4. provide basic accurate information  5. address social pressures  6. provide modeling of & practice in communication & refusal skills  7. use teaching methods to involve participants, personalize information  8. behavioral goals, teaching methods & materials are appropriate to the age, sexual experience & culture of the students  9. last a sufficient length of time  10. select teachers or peers who believe in the program, train them

Sex Education & HIV Prevention Programs with Strong Evidence  Safer Choices  Reducing the Risk  Get Real About AIDS  Be Proud! Be Responsible!  Making Proud Choices  Making a Difference (abstinence)  Focus on Kids  Too Good for Drugs and Violence

The dilemma… Where is this taught?

Role Play